The Slowcook at Spydog Farm The Slowcook at Spydog Farm

Gleaning For The Hungry

July 30th, 2009 · No Comments · Posted in food news

Gleaning feeds the needy

Gleaning feeds the needy

All over the country, food banks are running low because of economic hard times. Meanwhile, tons of food goes uneaten. In fact, by some estimates, half of all the edibles we create go to waste. But some groups actually do something about it, collecting otherwise unwanted food and distributing it to the needy.

Lately I’ve been reading with great admiration the stories coming out of one such group here in the District of Columbia, Bread for the City, and how they glean food for their clients by collecting what isn’t sold at farmers markets and by taking volunteers into farmers’ fields to harvest produce that can’t be sold.

These gleaning operations are a fascinating and vital aspect of our food system, especially if you are on the receiving end of food you otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford. Certainly these gleaners deserve more attention. And more volunteer support. The Mid-Atlantic Gleaning Network has projects in the works all the time, and a website where you can sign up for one of their forays into the fields.

Read some of the inspirational stories about what Bread for the City has been doing to save thousands of pounds of vital produce from farmers fields here, here, and here.

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