Gleaning - A Food Waste Solution at the Local Level
Food waste is a big global problem and it will take a variety of resources and big changes to solve this problem and move toward a more sustainable food system. So what can we do? In the meantime, gleaning, harvesting surplus crops from farm fields that are left behind, can be part of the solution at a local level. This age-old practice not only reduces food waste at the source, but also helps to alleviate food insecurity and connects volunteers with our community. Farmers are happy to see that their food will go to feed people, rather than plowed back into the field or composted, get the benefit of free labor from the volunteers, and may receive a tax credit for their food donation.
The work of a gleaner is not easy! In the Florida sun, it can be physically exhausting. For Community Harvest SRQ volunteers, this often means arriving at the farm at eight in the morning, where we have a short safety and harvesting class, then hit the field to harvest excess watermelon. It’s time to get our hands dirty! We cut the watermelon right off the vine and load them into large cardboard watermelon boxes. We also team up to make it fun and maybe a little competitive, too! An hour later, we are headed for a little shade, water, and a well-deserved break. We use our break to take a rest and enjoy a little community.
Next comes harvesting tips and a safety reminder to stay hydrated and then out to the tomato and zucchini field we go! Volunteers harvest crops into cardboard boxes. We learn to take the stems off tomatoes so that they won’t poke each other. We don’t want to deliver tomato sauce to the food bank! Some crops are damaged, have cracks or bad spots or, in the case of squash, are so overly large and tough they can’t be eaten. We always do quality control while we are picking to make sure we harvest food that is in safe condition to eat. That doesn’t mean we don’t harvest some pretty funny looking produce! Ugly veggies? We love them!
We usually glean until late morning and use any extra time to make sure the filled boxes are stacked and the farm field is clear of anything we brought in. The food bank truck arrives later to pick up all of the farm-fresh produce and, after delivery to the food bank, the food will be distributed to many local pantries. Volunteers who help us glean are giving their time and energy to get food out of the fields. It would have normally gone to waste but, thanks to their hard work, instead it gets onto plates of people who are food insecure.
Gleaners may get hot and dirty, but they have a great time knowing what an impact they have made for people in our community, as well as the environment. During our recent three-day glean at Enza Zaden farm, volunteer gleaners rescued over 18,660 pounds of delicious fresh produce that would have otherwise gone to waste. Volunteers may bring some produce home with them as a thank you for their hard work…and they have earned it!