Homegrown Foods
Too much fruit on the tree? That is the whole idea.
Homegrown Foods picks up the surplus from Valley yards and gets it to people who will eat it. You tell us what you have, we handle the rest, and you get a receipt.
Why we are called Homegrown Foods
Permascaping is the work. Homegrown Foods is the reason for it.
Homegrown Foods is the nonprofit behind Permascaping, a 501(c)(3) with one aim: communities in the Phoenix Valley that feed themselves from their own gardens and food forests. Every basin we dig, every tree we plant and every workday we run is a step toward it.
A Valley that feeds itself does not have an empty fridge next door to a tree dropping fruit. Harvest season here is lopsided: one yard has more oranges than a family can eat, and the surplus ends up on the ground. This page is how it ends up on a table instead.
Donating food is the simplest way to take part. No digging, no planting, no account. A tree you already have, doing what it was always meant to do.
Who this is for
Homegrown surplus, from a yard in the Valley. Yours or someone you know.
Yes, bring it
- A tree with more than you can pickCitrus in January, figs in July, pomegranates in October. One mature tree feeds a family and then some.
- A neighbor's tree, with their blessingTell us about it and we talk to them. Plenty of fruit goes to waste because the owner does not know who to call.
- A garden that overdid itForty pounds of zucchini, a flush of greens before the heat, a second crop of tomatoes. Picked or still growing.
- Eggs and herbs tooBackyard eggs and cut herbs count. If it came out of a yard in the Valley, it belongs here.
Not this
- GroceriesThis is not a food drive. Canned goods and store-bought food go to a food bank, and we can point you to one.
- Prepared foodCooked meals and baked goods cannot be passed along safely. Fresh and whole only.
- Fruit on the groundOnce it has dropped, it is for the compost. Tell us before that happens and we pick.
How a pickup works
Four steps, most of them ours.
Tell us what and how much
Which fruit or produce, roughly how much, whether it is picked, and when it needs to go. Two minutes in the form below.
We pick up, or you drop off
We come with boxes, ladders and poles if it is still on the tree. If you have already boxed it, we collect it or you bring it to a workday.
It goes to community partners
Pantries, mutual aid groups, neighborhood fridges and senior programs around the Valley. It moves within days and stays local.
You get a receipt
What you gave and how much, from a 501(c)(3). Keep it for your taxes.
The tax deduction
Homegrown Foods is a 501(c)(3) public charity, EIN 92-3311736. Produce you donate is deductible at its fair market value, which is what the same fruit sells for at a market, and the receipt we hand you records what and how much so you have the paperwork.
What that is worth depends on how you file. Talk to your tax preparer about your situation.
Offer your harvest
One question at a time. Tell us what you have and we take it from there, usually within a day or two.
Questions
Who gets the food?
Community partners around the Valley: food pantries, mutual aid groups, neighborhood fridges, senior programs and the volunteers at our own workdays. It stays local and it moves within days.
Do I have to pick it?
No. Tell us it is on the tree and we bring ladders, poles and people. If you would rather pick it yourself, tell us when it is boxed and we collect it.
What if I only have a little?
A single box is worth the trip when it is on the way. Tell us what you have and we fit it into a route.
Is it tax deductible?
Yes. Homegrown Foods is a 501(c)(3) public charity, EIN 92-3311736. Donated produce is deductible at its fair market value, and the receipt we give you says what and how much. Talk to your tax preparer about your situation.
Can I donate money or land instead?
Yes. Money keeps the trucks and the ladders moving, and land becomes the next community orchard. Read about donating a piece of land, or write to team@permascaping.com.
Other ways to give
Ground for the next community orchard, or a hand at the next planting.