From Field to Shelter: Tiny Farm × Food Rescue × NFUSA
Location: Miami, Florida
Program: NFUSA Shared Harvest
Farm Partner: Tiny Farm
Distribution Partner: Food Rescue (foodrescue.us)
Beneficiary: Local homeless shelter
Total produce donated to date: 50 lbs
The Beginning of Shared Harvest
Neighborhood Farms USA launched the Shared Harvest Program with a simple but powerful idea:
Fresh food should not go to waste and access to nutrient-dense produce should not depend on income.
Our first donation marked the official start of the program. Tiny Farm, a regenerative market garden in Miami, harvested 50 heads of field-fresh lettuce and prepared them for immediate distribution.
The produce moved directly from harvest to community distribution through Food Rescue and was delivered to a local homeless shelter the same week.
Retail value: $137
Quantity: 50 heads of lettuce
Condition: Harvested at peak freshness
Frequency: Bi-weekly ongoing donations
How the Model Works
The Shared Harvest Program is structured to protect both farmers and recipients.
• The farm harvests premium product.
• NFUSA pays 50% of the wholesale value to the farm.
• A distribution partner (in this case, Food Rescue) ensures efficient delivery.
• The produce reaches shelters, food banks, or community pantries within days.
This model ensures:
• Farmers are not financially penalized for donating
• Fresh, nutrient-dense food reaches underserved populations
• Community partnerships are strengthened
• Food waste is minimized
It is a practical system rooted in fairness and dignity.
Ongoing Commitment
Tiny Farm will continue donating produce bi-weekly through Shared Harvest.
This first 50-head donation represents more than lettuce.
It represents the launch of a replicable model.
As additional neighborhood farms join the network, Shared Harvest can expand city by city, connecting surplus abundance to urgent need, one neighborhood at a time.