Families from Santa Barbara and the Santa Ynez Valley spent Veterans Day morning picking green beans at Shepherd Giving Farm for Little Shepherds: A Grow and Give Morning, hosted by Veggie Rescue.
The kids worked alongside Farmer Tom Shepherd gathering the veggies, then went along to deliver the bounty to people who could use them.
Among those at the farm were Lucy Firestone and Katy Powers, co-board chairs of Freedom for Youth, one of the nonprofits to which Veggie Rescue delivers food.
Also on hand were Mary Firestone with her daughter; Belle Hahn of Montecito; Veggie Rescue Board member Esther Kim Varet with husband Joseph and their children; and Veggie Rescue Board member Jamie Edlin.
Following a short tour from Shepherd, the kids got to work picking about 100 pounds of green beans, the last of this year’s summer and fall crops.
Next, the families drove to SYV Community Outreach, another of Veggie Rescue’s nonprofit partners, where the beans will go to local families and seniors, likely including some veterans, Veggie Rescue said.
Scott Evans of the Santa Ynez Valley Rotary Club, which was meeting there that morning, accepted the donation.
“Kids don’t often get to see where their food comes from, let alone see it go to someone else,” said Eryn Shugart, executive director of Veggie Rescue.
“Watching them see the beans they picked an hour earlier go to their neighbors, on Veterans Day, was the best part of my week.”
The morning was also a reminder of how much good food matters for kids,” Shugart said.
“A growing body of research on childhood nutrition programs, mostly food assistance and school meals, has found children who have enough to eat do better in school and are less likely to be involved in the justice system as adults,” she said.
One study published in Economic Inquiry found universal free school meals reduced out-of-school suspensions by about 10% in elementary schools.
Shepherd Giving Farm opened in March and grows fresh produce specifically to give away through Veggie Rescue’s partner organizations.
The farm is at Hilltop Guest Ranch & Vineyards, a Veggie Rescue partner, about six miles west of Buellton off Hwy. 246.
Veggie Rescue welcomes volunteers of all ages to help plant and harvest throughout the year; the farm can host groups as well as individuals.
Hidden Wings, a nonprofit that supports young adults with autism, volunteers at the farm regularly, and other groups have pitched in, too.
To get involved, visit veggierescue.org.
Since 2010, Veggie Rescue has rescued fresh produce and other food that would otherwise go to waste and delivered it to more than 70 nonprofit partners across Santa Barbara County.
In 2025, the organization rescued nearly 750,000 pounds, the most in its history.