George Van Ess
Our first season. A tremendous success!
In mid-September, a group of SaddleBrooke Ranch (SBR) volunteers started with 10 Robson-donated beds in the SBR Community Garden. They replaced desert dirt with nutritious soil and organic fertilizer. They added watering hoses and timers. They built shade cloth structures. And they planted, tended to, and harvested a variety of veggies. They sought and received donations from SBR residents and local businesses including Catalina/Oro Valley ACE, Marks Ace, Catalina Tractor Supply, Home Depot, and Arbico Organics.
The result was “Harvest,” as in a harvest of fresh vegetables delivered to the IMPACT Food Bank the same day our team harvested them. We estimate our bounty at 1,500+ cherry tomatoes, 900+ carrots, 120+ beets, 40+ zucchini, and 100+ individual bags of fresh herbs including dill, cilantro, parsley, thyme, basil, oregano, and more. Plus, curious SBR community gardeners stopped by and shared their “extras,” which we happily included in our deliveries. Thanks to our fellow gardeners!
IMPACT of Southern Arizona, our local food bank, feeds more than 800 individuals monthly. Some are homebound seniors receiving deliveries, some are families in need of food. IMPACT has been truly grateful, partnering with us on this important project. All monetary donations go directly to “IMPACT of Southern Arizona/SBR” and the funds are held in a special “SBR Harvest” account to be used for on-going expenses such as seeds, plants, replacement soil, fertilizer and equipment.
As word got out that, due to our partnership with IMPACT, our Harvest project is 501(c)(3) and a Qualified Charitable Organization (QCO), the following members generously contributed their maximum 2025 QCO to the Harvest project: Maxwell and Claudia Knauss, Richard and Carolyn Sutherland, Lloyd and Sharon Farber, and George and Melody Van Ess.
In addition to our many anonymous donors, our thanks extend to these SBR neighbors for their financial support: John and Joann Hoback, Matt Nelson and Donna Pedota, Jef and Dale Farland, Paul Knott and Melanie Timberlake, Jim Hoagland and Glenna Matthews, Bob and Loretta Page, Marvin and Janice Soskill, and Charles Harder.
Finally, a big thank you to the Democratic Club for inviting us to present our project and “pass the hat.”
Again, a success? Yes! Robson has increased support of our project, donating an additional 10 planting beds bringing our total to 20 beds for the spring! In exchange, we will be providing Chef Jeremy fresh herbs. A win/win for all SBR members. Thank you to Mike Taylor and Jamie Shipley for their continued support.
Harvest would not have become the success it is without the help of our volunteers who have been with us since the beginning. My personal thanks to each of these caring, hard working volunteers for helping our community: Bob Allen, Sheilah Britton, Char Burrell, Karen Cain, Debbie Christie, Tom and Sandy Goodwin, Jim Hoagland, Al Jarvis, Ellon Jarvis, Glenna Matthews, Sandy Morgan, Julie Peek, Evelyn Silver, Melody Van Ess, Dan Watson, and Darlene Wilcox.
Our spring planting has begun. For more information or to make a donation, please contact me, George Van Ess, at 707-344-0991.