New World Survival · Donation Garden Field Manual

Food-Bank & Donation Garden Recipient & Production Workbook

Build the crop plan backward from recipient demand, receiving capacity and harvest logistics. Track acceptance, rejection, food-safety boundaries and feedback so the next season improves.

Donation stop rule: Do not dedicate major production until a real recipient has confirmed what it accepts, when it receives produce, what quality/handling it requires and how much it can use.

1. Donation-garden model

☐ Dedicated recipient garden

☐ Multi-recipient garden

☐ Aggregation / collection hub

☐ Gleaning / harvest coordination

Primary purpose / model boundary

2. Recipient network map

Organization	Food bank / pantry / meal / school / other	Accepts garden produce directly?	Contact	Role / notes
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3. Primary recipient agreement

Recipient / receiving contact

Receiving days / times

Distribution days

Seasonal closures / changes

Pickup or delivery?

Backup recipient

4. Demand interview

Question	Recipient answer
Produce wanted but rarely donated
Produce already over-supplied
Culturally preferred / requested produce
Useful quantity range / capacity signal
Packaging / container preference
Washing / brush-off preference
Quality / rejection standard
Source/date / traceability requested

5. Cooling / storage capacity

Storage type	Available?	Capacity / practical limit	Who controls it?	Constraint for crop plan
Garden shade / immediate hold	☐
Garden refrigeration / cooler	☐
Recipient refrigeration	☐
Recipient dry/cool storage	☐
Vehicle cold capacity	☐

6. Crop-demand matrix

Crop	Recipient demand	Local fit	Harvest labor	Holding / transport fit	Plant / limit / decline

7. Succession / delivery calendar

Week / period	Expected crops	Recipient capacity / closure	Harvest lead	Delivery plan

8. Normal-week capacity

Harvest crew capacity

Sorting / packing capacity

Cooling / holding capacity

Vehicle / delivery capacity

Weakest link and resulting production limit

9. Food-safety program references

☐ Soil/site safety record

☐ Water source / irrigation record

☐ IPM / pesticide application record

☐ Harvest hygiene / illness exclusion

☐ Clean harvest containers

☐ Clean covered transport

☐ Produce Donation Systems SOP

☐ Recipient food-safety / handling requirements

Authoritative record location

10. Harvest crew roster

Date / week	Harvest lead	Backup	Sort / pack	Driver	Completion / notes

11. Quality / rejection standard

Condition	Accept?	Recipient rule / reason	Redirect or discard?
Cosmetic irregularity
Minor field soil / debris
Bruise / superficial damage
Cut / broken produce
Rot / spoilage
Fecal / flood / chemical concern
Unknown temperature / holding concern

12. Container / packaging plan

Crop / group	Container	Clean / food-contact appropriate?	Label / source info	Returnable?
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13. Transport plan

Vehicle / driver

Vehicle cleanliness check

Covered / protected load method

Cold / heat protection if needed

Route / delivery window

Backup driver / vehicle

14. Delivery / receipt log

Date	Crop / source	Quantity	Recipient / receiver	Accepted quantity	Notes / feedback

15. Rejection / redirection log

Date / lot	Rejected quantity	Fit / logistics / safety	Reason	Resolved?	Final disposition
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Safety rejection: Do not redirect until the safety concern is resolved. A backup recipient is for sound produce rejected because of quantity, crop fit or logistics.

16. Volunteer / partner responsibility map

Function	Primary owner	Backup	Training / authority	Record location
Recipient relationship
Crop planning
Food-safety records
Harvest lead
Sorting / packing
Transport / delivery
Data / impact reporting

17. Good Samaritan / legal / insurance verification

☐ Donation through nonprofit recipient verified

☐ Direct-distribution status reviewed if applicable

☐ State/local health and food rules identified

☐ Insurer / host risk questions reviewed

☐ Processed/cut/preserved foods excluded or separately authorized

Local legal / health / insurance contact or record

18. Impact dashboard

Measure	Result	Interpretation / action
Total quantity delivered
Quantity accepted
Quantity rejected / reason
Missed / late deliveries
Recipient spoilage / holding concern reported
Most requested crops
Persistent over-supply
Volunteer harvest / delivery reliability
Recipient satisfaction / usefulness

19. End-of-season recipient interview

Question	Recipient feedback	Next-season change
What disappeared quickly?
What lingered / spoiled?
What was missing?
What quantity was too much?
Which delivery weeks/times worked poorly?
Were packaging / quality useful?
What culturally preferred foods should be added?
Should recipient/backup routing change?

20. Next-season decision and handoff

☐ Recipient agreement is renewed before seed order

☐ Crop plan reflects current recipient demand

☐ Weakest harvest/cooling/transport link has an owner

☐ Food-safety records and rejection issues are closed

☐ Backup recipient remains confirmed

☐ Volunteer harvest/delivery coverage is realistic

☐ Impact measures include usefulness, not only pounds

☐ Next coordinator can locate recipient contacts and records

☐ Expansion waits until current receiving system is healthy

Crop / group	Container	Clean / food-contact appropriate?	Label / source info	Returnable?
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Crop / group	Container	Clean / food-contact appropriate?	Label / source info	Returnable?
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