Maaser ani on vegetables
Question
I have a small vegetable patch in my yard. What is the order of the berachot on separating terumot and ma'aserot this year (5785)? Are we supposed to say the first berachah on separating terumot and maaserot and say the text? For the second berachah, are we supposed to substitute "ma'aser ani" for "ma'aser sheni"? Do we need to redeem it onto a coin? What do I do with the part of the vegetable I separated?
Answer
This year is a ma'aser ani year, so at this point in the year (winter 5785), you only say the first berachah and the text when separating terumot and ma'aserot from vegetables. You don't say the second berachah on redeeming ma'aser sheni (or substitute the words "ma'aser ani"); the ma'aser ani is meant for the poor.
If you are a member of Beit Ha'otzar, the actual giving of ma'aser ani is facilitated by Beit Ha'otzar.
I highly recommend checking out our website to learn more about terumot and ma'aserot: