The original item was published from May 29, 2018 1:08 PM to June 4, 2018 11:23 AM
The Gleaning Project has enabled hundreds of volunteers to donate over 200,000lbs of fresh fruit and vegetables to local food banks since 2013! Photo Credit: Jefferson Mok
Sun warming your back as cool sweat
drips down your outstretched arm. The
apple tucked in the dampened light of
the trees crown is hanging just beyond
your grasp. Standing on the ladder
from this perspective you can see it
is ripened to perfection. You hear the
chatter and laughter below as a group
of harvesters collect the low hanging
fruit. With a final stretch you grab it
and pull it from the tree and harvest
another apple into an already filled
bag. This is gleaning at its finest.
Join us at the Gleaning Kickoff Party and learn how to become a volunteer with the Gleaning Program! Click here for more info.
Gleaning is the ancient practice of
collecting leftover produce after
commercial harvest. For centuries field
gleaning has been a valuable resource
for people looking to gather the
leftover bounty of the season. Harvest
Pierce County’s Gleaning Project has
been harvesting the local abundance of
Pierce County since 2013. Devoted volunteers
have collected over 200,000lbs
of produce from backyard fruit trees,
farm fields, and market leftovers!
For his years of dedication as a Gleaning Program volunteer and leader, Aaron Womack, seen here gleaning apples for local food banks, was recognized as the District's Volunteer of the Year award at this Spring’s Conservation Celebration.
This season to expand the harvest and
strengthen food sovereignty in Pierce
County we have changed our organizational
structure and are looking for
neighborhood managers to lead gleaning
events. These ‘branch leaders’ will
work closely with the Harvest Pierce
County team. They are responsible for leading urban fruit harvests and
scouting fruit trees in their region to
assure the fruit is ripe for the picking.
In addition, Branch Leaders are
responsible for assuring the produce
gets dropped off to local food banks of
their choice.
Since all volunteers get
to take home a portion of the harvest,
Branch Leaders have access to fresh and
hyper-local fruit all season long! Branch
Leaders are provided extensive educational
opportunities including pest and
disease identification and propagating
the best cultivars of Pierce County! This
is the perfect opportunity for people
who like to preserve food while also
giving back to the community. We ask
that Branch Leaders be available on
a consistent day and can commit to
the entire season. Branch Leaders are
provided up to a $200 stipend for the
season and mileage reimbursement.