There once was a young boy who would only eat a very few foods . Then he discovered vegetables at school and now tells his mother about all the things from the school ’ s garden he is trying .

With income cuts , a local mother was limited to the number of fresh vegetables she could afford . Now her garden provides her family with fresh vegetables daily and she preserves some to use through the winter .

These success stories were made possible by Sierra Harvest whose programs are impacting thousands of western Nevada County residents .

Their Farm-to-School Program reaches 96 % of all K-8 students in the area – 6,500 students in 22 schools . The kids visit local farmers , farmers visit the classrooms . There are cooking sessions with local food and guest chefs , and produce carts for the kids .

Want to plant a garden , but have no clue how to start ? Or you planted one and nothing came up . Well , Sierra Harvest can help .

To date , they have built or revamped 40 gardens in backyards or on acreage . Seeds and starter plants are provided , as well as two years of additional assistance . The organization wants to see hundreds more of these gardens .

Taking it a step further , the Sierra Harvest Farm Institute was founded , and to date has trained over 30 farmers . The program attracts all ages including retires who want a second career . “ Students ” work alongside mentors , take a business planning course and learn about land opportunities in Nevada County . The aim is to help grow successful farms and ranches .

Sierra Harvest was formed in 2013 as the result of a merger between two organizations . One focused on young farmers , the other on reducing childhood obesity through healthy meals .

Today the organization ’ s goal is for 25 % of the food eaten locally , be grown locally . They point out that if this could be realized $ 67 million would recirculate in the community . One positive sign is that after years of decline , they are now seeing more farms each year rather than fewer .

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L I V I N G

Eat Your Vegetables !

There once was a young boy who would only eat a very few foods . Then he discovered vegetables at school and now tells his mother about all the things from the school ’ s garden he is trying .