I. Introduction
What Is Gleaning?
Gleaning is simply the act of collecting excess fresh foods from farms, gardens, farmers markets, grocers, restaurants, state/county fairs, or any other sources in order to provide it to those in need.
Why Glean
“Some of the foods we receive [from gleaning] are things that would otherwise be too expensive to buy…One of the great benefits of working with farmers markets is getting fresh fruits and veggies that are healthy.” – Staff Member at the DC Central Kitchen, a non-profit organization in Washington, DC, which regularly takes surplus food and cooks it into 4,500 meals for the hungry each day.
Each year, well over 100 billion pounds of food are thrown away in this countryi . Some estimates from 2009 indicate that up to 20 percent of America’s entire food supply goes to waste. At the same time there are 49 million people, including more than 16 million children, who are at risk of going hungry. Gleaning – the practice of collecting and donating excess foods – helps simultaneously address these pressing issues. Importantly, it also gives low-income individuals access to fresh and locally grown foods that are not always available in their communities. In fact, more than 23 million Americans, including 6.5 million children, live in low-income urban and rural neighborhoods that are known “food deserts,” where affordable, quality, and nutritious foods are inaccessible.
In addition, because gleaning requires effort from and coordination between many different individuals (volunteers with community groups, gardeners and/or farmers, agencies that serve the hungry, etc.), it helps foster strong local community food systems. Furthermore, it provides vital resources to nonprofits who serve food to those in need, many of which have experienced severe cutbacks during the economic downturn.
II. How To Start a Gleaning Program
Find Donors
- You can find a farmers market near you and contact the manager of the market and individual vendors by using The National Farmers Market Search Engine.
- You can find a community garden in your area which might be interested in sharing its harvest using the American Community Garden Association database and/or by searching the national network of USDA People’s Gardens.
- In order to directly reach out to farmers in your area, the best way to find them is to contact your state’s USDA office. You could also contact your State Department of Agriculture.