Gleaning
Gleaning, or harvesting surplus produce, is one of the most significant ways we provide fresh food to the needy families in our community. At the invitation of the property owner, farmer or gardener, volunteers will pick surplus vegetables and fruit and deliver them to the local food pantry, shelter or soup kitchen.
Since we began in October 2008, Farm to Pantry has gleaned over 20,000 pounds of fresh produce - apples, beets, cabbage, cucumbers, figs, greens, grapefruit, kiwis, lemons, onions, pears, peppers, persimmons (fuyu and hachiya), pineapple guavas, plums, potatoes, pumpkins, oranges, radicchio, squash, tomatoes, turnips, walnuts, and, of course, zucchini – all grown in Sonoma County!
Gleaning not only makes fresh food more accessible and reduces waste but also strengthens community by connecting neighbor to neighbor, abundance to need.
