A few miles west of Buellton, on the Hilltop Farms property, sits a sunny 20-acre plot that’s become the site of a new collaboration between Veggie Rescue and longtime Folded Hills farmer Tom Shepherd. They’re calling it Shepherd Giving Farm.
Tom is a Santa Barbara native who, at 79, jokes that retirement happened to him sometime in his twenties, since he’s still farming seven days a week. For the past couple of years, he’s guided the Yankee Farm, a Bucket Brigade project in Santa Barbara, where a one-acre plot runs on volunteer labor under his direction, keeping costs low for the nonprofit. Every pound harvested there is picked up by Veggie Rescue, the logistics organization that collects surplus produce and other food and delivers it within 24 hours to 70 nonprofits across the county serving food insecure residents. Tom had a bigger vision, though, a farm that could yield several hundred thousand pounds of produce a year, and he brought that idea to both generous community members and Veggie Rescue as a potential partner.
Last year, Veggie Rescue delivered 744,000 pounds of rescued produce and other food, the equivalent of roughly 620,000 meals, to nonprofits across the county, reaching children and families, seniors, veterans, and unhoused community members. By donating that food directly, Veggie Rescue also saves its 70 nonprofit partners money they would otherwise have to spend purchasing it themselves, freeing up those resources for other needs. That work is driven by a simple vision: a world where everyone has access to fresh, healthy food, and where the abundance that once went to waste in our landfills instead nourishes our neighbors. Shepherd Giving Farm adds a second track to that mission, growing food specifically to be donated, rather than rescuing what would otherwise go to waste. That distinction matters here. When housing costs are factored in, Santa Barbara County has the highest poverty rate of any county in California, and poverty and food insecurity go hand in hand. Once fully planted, Shepherd Giving Farm is expected to produce roughly 250,000 pounds of food, or about 208,000 meals, annually, a substantial addition to that need, and a major step toward Veggie Rescue’s goal of one million pounds obtained and donated each year.
Four months in, Shepherd Giving Farm already has 2 acres planted and is producing 2,000 pounds of food a week, about 1,700 meals, vibrant yellow crookneck squash and oversized zucchini leading the way. Tomatoes are close behind, with sweet onions to follow. Volunteers are already turning out to help with the harvest, and Tom and Veggie Rescue are hoping to bring in more volunteers and community groups as the farm grows. Businesses and community members interested in sponsoring the farm are also welcome to get involved.
To learn more, visit VeggieRescue.org.
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