Squash 4 Friends hosts free produce giveaway, yard sale in Apple Valley
Squash 4 Friends is giving away vegetables, plants, flowers, seedlings, and fertilizer this weekend.
Retired Sheriff’s Sgt. and nonprofit founder Jim Hill told the Daily Press that the produced-themed event begins at 9 a.m. on Saturday at his farm at 20964 Waladi Road. There will also be a yard sale to benefit the nonprofit's farm in Apple Valley.
Visitors are asked to bring their own bags for produce and fertilizer pickups.
“We’re hoping for a good turnout at the farm,” said Hill, 67, who also hosts a produce stand beginning at 1 p.m. every Friday. “We grow a lot of the produce, but we also distribute food that we pick up from High Desert Second Chance in Hesperia.”
Some of the food distribution items include squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, pepper, and cabbage. Sometimes canned food and meat items are available for purchase.
“During the week, nobody works the produce stand,” Hill said. “The vegetables are set out and the meat is placed in an ice chest for people to pick up.”
About 35 families take advantage of the nonprofit’s charity, with roughly 99% of them taking what they need and the rest falling into the “greedy” category, Hill said.
“The main thing is that people are being fed,” Hill said. “Our mission has always been to provide everyone with healthy and nutritious food.”
Apple Valley farm
Hill expanded into Apple Valley after establishing his Hesperia farm about 12 years ago on Rock Springs Road. That farm was shuttered in 2021, mostly due to the COVID-19 pandemic disrupting his small army of volunteers.
The Apple Valley farm is located on about 4 acres and includes Hill’s home, work sheds, a garage, a small picnic area, and a mountain of garden supplies. A 15-foot tower topped off with a large metal American flag and faded sign that reads “Welcome to Squash for Friends Apple Valley.”
Over the years, various groups have volunteered at the farm, including missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Hill’s nonprofit has also donated to several organizations, including the Victor Valley Rescue Mission, the Lord’s Table, and several churches across the High Desert.
Groups wanting to volunteer can email Jim Hill at squash4friends@yahoo.com. For more information, visit squash4friends.net.
Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at 760-951-6227 or RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on Twitter @DP_ReneDeLaCruz
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Squash 4 Friends hosts free produce giveaway, yard sale in Apple Valley
