AmpleHarvest.org Helps Gardeners Provide Fresh Produce to Food Pantries
Summary
“I have watched Gary Oppenheimer and his team grow AmpleHarvest.org since 2009, helping thousands of food pantries get locally grown surplus harvests from nearby gardeners,” said Chief Henry Red Cloud (Lakota) of Pine Ridge, a White House Champion of Change winner and key advisor for this program. “When Gary came to me years ago asking for my help and guidance in making sure that this award-winning program could also benefit Indian Country, I was more than happy to help.”America’s gardeners grow more than 11 billion pounds of surplus harvests annually. “AmpleHarvest.org is the perfect example of a program that enables people to take ownership of a problem and solve it without needing engagement from outside of their community or Nation.”According to a study conducted by AmpleHarvest.org, more than 80% of gardeners want to donate food once they know they are able to. Oppenheimer said when the partnership launched, he did a year’s worth of due diligence consulting elders, tribal chiefs and more. Oppenheimer said because of the original design of AmpleHarvest.org, the organization had to make changes that will benefit all gardeners and pantries in Indian Country.