Organization dedicated to cultivating and advancing a resilient, local food network
Local nonprofits Sunshine Community Compost and Community Harvest SRQ have announced that they have merged “to form Sunshine Community Harvest, a unified organization dedicated to cultivating and advancing a resilient, local food network that nourishes community and planet,” a news release says.
“Over the past decade, the two community-driven nonprofits have collectively diverted hundreds of thousands of pounds of food and food scraps from local landfills, educated residents and businesses on sustainable food practices, expanded access to fresh, local produce, and built volunteer networks committed to environmental stewardship,” the release explains. “In September 2025, a joint task force was formed to explore opportunities for deeper collaboration, with both boards voting unanimously to merge in February 2026,” the release continues.
“The new organization brings together a suite of complementary strengths developed since 2010 (Community Harvest SRQ) and 2017 (Sunshine Community Compost), unifying long‑standing programs that reduce waste, expand access to fresh food, and strengthen the local food system,” the release adds.
“As a singular nonprofit, Sunshine Community Harvest is poised to expand its impact — rescuing more fresh food, diverting more organic waste, building healthier soil, and engaging more residents in simple, meaningful actions that strengthen the region’s food network,” the release says.
“Food system challenges such as waste, soil degradation, food insecurity, and climate pressures are deeply interconnected,” notes Sunshine Community Harvest Vice Chair Anne Miller in the release. “They demand integrated, community‑powered solutions. This merger allows us to meet those challenges with greater coordination, scale, and innovation,” Miller explained in the release.
“This is a moment of intentional evolution,” added board Chair Sam Valentin in the release. “By joining forces, we are creating an organization capable of deeper impact, broader reach, and greater long‑term resilience. Merging reduces duplication, increases efficiency, and allows us to leverage shared expertise for the good of our region,” Valentin pointed out.
“The merger also opens new opportunities for collaboration with neighborhoods, schools, farms, businesses, and local governments,” the release says. “Community members can support this next chapter by volunteering, joining compost hubs, partnering on programs, or donating to help expand capacity,” the release continues.
Sunshine Community Harvest leaders are interviewing candidates for the organization’s first Executive Director, the release says. They look forward to making an announcement soon.
A website will be available soon at sunshinecommunityharvest.org, the release adds.