Gleaning

Gleaning: What is it?

Making bag skirts to go corn picking in with some die-hard volunteers. 

Gleaning is the "second harvest" of the field after the farmer has picked what he plans to sell for market.  It's a pretty simple concept full of good will, good times, and food for all.


And how do we do it?


Here at the Gleaning Project we serve as the middleman: Connecting our local farmers with those in need to ensure that everyone has access to healthy and wholesome food.  During early spring, we snail mail letters to many of our local farmsteads letting them know of the Gleaning Projects' existence.  In that letter, we ask that if they have any leftover produce in their fields to please give us a call!  

Many farmers call us up or email us during harvest season and we drive out to their farms with our big box truck and glean what we can in a couple hours.  The gleaned food is then distributed throughout the county by us, to human service agencies and individuals in need of fresh food. 

Anyone can start a gleaning group in any county with the help of a farmer contact list (which can be found on your county's Cornell Cooperative Extensions' website or by calling the extension), a volunteer/friend base, a car or truck, and determination!  Lots and lots of determination.  


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