This column is written by the UC Master Gardeners of Yolo County each month. It provides answers to selected questions recently asked by Yolo County gardeners.
Question: I have an overabundance of both vegetables and fruit this year. Are there ways to donate it?
Answer: Neighborhood sharing is, of course, a good place to start. I assume you are the one whose neighbors pull the blinds when they see you walking up the street with yet another box of zucchini. There are a number of places to donate extra fruits and vegetables throughout the year that would help feed our food-insecure neighbors with fresh, locally grown produce. A Yolo Food Bank survey from 2024 found that thirty percent of Yolo County residents are food insecure. For families with children, it increases to forty percent so there is plenty of need and fresh food is at a premium. It must be clean and relatively sound but does not need to pass the cosmetic standards you would normally see in a grocery store.
The Yolo Food Bank at 233 Harter Avenue in Woodland accepts donations from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. They ask that you call ahead at (530) 668-0690 to let them know what you will be bringing and so that a staff member can be there to assist you.
Community Harvest of Davis is a nonprofit, volunteer-run organization that harvests fruit from residential trees and donates it to agencies that feed people in need. (530) 759-9792.
Woodland Community Harvest is a nonprofit volunteer organization that harvests extra fruit and vegetables from backyards and small farms, then passes it along to local charities to feed those in need. wcharvest@yahoo.com.
Grace Garden, located behind the Methodist Church in Davis at 1620 Anderson Road, grows and donates vegetables and fruit to community meals. Volunteer gardeners are there on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. June through September and 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. from October through May. You can drop your extras off with them.
Davis Community Meals and Housing will accept donations of fresh food from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday at Paul’s Place, 1111 H Street, Davis.
Davis Co-Op Freedge is a free refrigerator at the Davis Food Co-Op, 620 G Street, Davis. It is located outside on the left side of the front of the building. Donations can simply be left in the refrigerator for anyone to use.
Three Sisters Garden in West Sacramento will accept donations of home-grown fruit only (no vegetables) on Wednesdays from 8 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. and on Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. at their farm, located at 317 5th Street in West Sacramento.
Woodland Food Closet at 420 Grand Ave., Woodland, will accept donations from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays. Contact them ahead of time so they know you are coming at 530-662-7020.
Most of these organizations will also accept donations of nonperishable food and, of course, financial assistance in addition to your fresh produce.
This article previously appeared in the Winters Express and Davis Enterprise.
Have a gardening question? Send it to jmbaumbach@ucanr.edu, with “Ask MGs” in the subject line. Include as much detail as possible and pictures if you have them.