From The Top(September 2025)

Philanthropy is a key part of the VHA mission. Yes, we provide positive constructive dialogue to solve problems and provide educational opportunities to learn about how our community operates. But we are really a giving organization. Our VHA Foundation provides funding to local organizations throughout the year. The Foundation also provides funding when necessary to the VHA Helping Hands and the total funding of the Shared Harvest Garden.

You have seen articles in the Villages Daily Sun about Shared Harvest and the wonderful asset it is to the community. Shared Harvest, created more than twenty-five years ago, is still a totally volunteer-run garden providing produce to eight local food pantries and soup kitchens. Ten months a year, we provide vegetables to the eight organizations. Crops vary during the season, with the goal being to use the land for maximum production.

Shared Harvest could apply to become a certified organic farm. All soil nutrition is organic; we do not use pesticides or herbicides and follow organic practices. In other words, the user of our produce is getting more nutritional value. We grow and ship more than twenty-five thousand pounds yearly. This community service done by volunteers is a small part of the growing need to help those families in need of nutritional assistance.

On August 6^th, we started the first seeding of fall crops in our greenhouse at Shared Harvest, including cucumber, squash, zucchini, Bok Choi, and lettuce. Other crops will follow as the season cools. Transplanting seedlings, setting irrigation lines, mulching, weeding, and harvesting the produce are labor-intensive. Volunteers do it all.

Everything printed today indicates that fresh air, exercise, and socialization are critical to maintaining quality of life. We can provide an opportunity for you to enjoy all three. Come and volunteer with us at Shared Harvest Garden. We need your help on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday morning. Volunteers help from 7-9 am, doing any of the jobs necessary to run our two-acre operation. The physical address for Shared Harvest is 400 Oak Street, Lady Lake, behind the Wood Shop on Rolling Acres Road.

If you have questions about Shared Harvest, send me an email, [email protected].

Peter Russell, VHA President