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Gleaning may be your answer. Just what is “gleaning?” According to Wikipedia, “it is the act of collecting leftover crops from farmers' fields after they have been commercially harvested or on fields where it is not economically profitable to harvest.”
Gleaning has been part of the culture for centuries. In ancient times it was a rule of most religious beliefs for farmers to leave a small portion of their harvest for the poor to collect for themselves.
Today, there are many local gleaning groups that have as their mission to collect surplus produce from farmers and anyone who has excess fruits and vegetables. Most groups have volunteer pickers who will collect the excess produce and deliver it to a wide variety of non-profit food organizations such as food pantries, food banks, soup kitchens and shelters.
One such organization in Sonoma County, CA is Farm To Pantry. It is committed “to developing and supporting local, sustainable programs that provide fresh food to all members of the community.” They feel that “gleaning not only makes fresh food more accessible and reduces waste, but also strengthens community by connecting neighbor to neighbor, abundance to need.”
Since their inception in 2008, they have gleaned over 36,000 lbs of fresh produce! They are always looking for volunteer pickers and folks who have excess produce.
One of the many places that Farm to Pantry delivers produce to is the Nutrition Garden class at Healdsburg Elementary School. This class offers hands-on garden and nutrition education to the students to make them more aware of sustainable eating.
Another smaller group in the retirement community of Oakmont in Sonoma County was formed in 2009 to collect excess fruits and vegetables from the gardens of the residents as  well as from the community garden. Due to this year’s unseasonably cool summer the harvest has not been as abundant as usual. In August they collected about 150 lbs of plums and apples. Typical crops in August, September and October are pears, persimmons, figs and apples.
A few of the organizations where the Oakmont group distributes their pickings are Elisha’s Food Pantry, Redwood Gospel Mission and WOW (Worth Our Weight), a culinary apprentice program that teaches the restaurant trade to young people at risk.
Do you have surplus fruits and veggies to be picked?
Are there organizations in your neighborhood that could use your gleaned fruits and veggies?
Do you have a gleaning group in your community where you can drop off excess produce or volunteer to be a picker?
Organizations mentioned:
- Elisha’s Food Pantry
- Farm to Pantry
- Redwood Gospel Mission
- WOW (Worth Our Weight)
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