#sharingfood — Public Fediverse posts

#Gleaning with #MidCoast #HungerPrevention Program reduces waste and increases community

Maya Khalil, Posted July 14, 2025

"This summer, I feel very lucky to be completing a fellowship with the #MerrymeetingGleaners group at Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program. This fellowship, funded by #BowdoinCollege ’s McKeen Center for the Common Good, has provided me with knowledge and hands-on experience I will carry with me throughout college and my career. Before I began this fellowship, you could say I was 'gleaning-curious.' I was familiar with the basic concept — volunteers harvest surplus crops from farms, which they donate to #HungerRelief efforts — but I had never actually gleaned. Now, I glean three mornings a week, traveling to local farms to pick everything from strawberries to Swiss chard.

"Gleaning is an elegant way to fight both #FoodWaste and #FoodInsecurity . Farming yields are inherently imprecise. They are influenced by weather, pests and many other factors outside of human control. That unpredictability, paired with a fast-moving economy, is challenging and often leads to surplus crops staying in the fields. Gleaning can rescue thousands of pounds of produce and provide fresh, local, nutritious meals to folks who may not be able to access them otherwise. It takes time, patience and hard work, but the process is powerful and rewarding. About halfway through the harvest season, we have rescued almost 3,000 pounds of produce, equivalent to about 2,500 meals! I am so grateful to the folks at #SixRiverFarm, #GoransonFarm and #HarvestTide #Organics who open their fields to this work."

Read more:
https://www.pressherald.com/2025/07/14/gleaning-with-mid-coast-hunger-prevention-program-reduces-waste-and-increases-community/

Archived version:
https://archive.li/Lkg1E

#SolarPunkSunday #SharingFood
#MainersHelpingMainers #MCHPP #NeighborsHelpingNeighbors #BuildingComunity #GrowYourOwnFood
#FeedingNeighbors #GYO #FarmToTable #LocalFarms #ZeroWaste #ReduceFoodWaste #FoodSecurity

#Gleaning with #MidCoast #HungerPrevention Program reduces waste and increases community

Maya Khalil, Posted July 14, 2025

"This summer, I feel very lucky to be completing a fellowship with the #MerrymeetingGleaners group at Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program. This fellowship, funded by #BowdoinCollege ’s McKeen Center for the Common Good, has provided me with knowledge and hands-on experience I will carry with me throughout college and my career. Before I began this fellowship, you could say I was 'gleaning-curious.' I was familiar with the basic concept — volunteers harvest surplus crops from farms, which they donate to #HungerRelief efforts — but I had never actually gleaned. Now, I glean three mornings a week, traveling to local farms to pick everything from strawberries to Swiss chard.

"Gleaning is an elegant way to fight both #FoodWaste and #FoodInsecurity . Farming yields are inherently imprecise. They are influenced by weather, pests and many other factors outside of human control. That unpredictability, paired with a fast-moving economy, is challenging and often leads to surplus crops staying in the fields. Gleaning can rescue thousands of pounds of produce and provide fresh, local, nutritious meals to folks who may not be able to access them otherwise. It takes time, patience and hard work, but the process is powerful and rewarding. About halfway through the harvest season, we have rescued almost 3,000 pounds of produce, equivalent to about 2,500 meals! I am so grateful to the folks at #SixRiverFarm, #GoransonFarm and #HarvestTide #Organics who open their fields to this work."

Read more:
https://www.pressherald.com/2025/07/14/gleaning-with-mid-coast-hunger-prevention-program-reduces-waste-and-increases-community/

Archived version:
https://archive.li/Lkg1E

#SolarPunkSunday #SharingFood
#MainersHelpingMainers #MCHPP #NeighborsHelpingNeighbors #BuildingComunity #GrowYourOwnFood
#FeedingNeighbors #GYO #FarmToTable #LocalFarms #ZeroWaste #ReduceFoodWaste #FoodSecurity

#Gleaning with #MidCoast #HungerPrevention Program reduces waste and increases community

Maya Khalil, Posted July 14, 2025

"This summer, I feel very lucky to be completing a fellowship with the #MerrymeetingGleaners group at Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program. This fellowship, funded by #BowdoinCollege ’s McKeen Center for the Common Good, has provided me with knowledge and hands-on experience I will carry with me throughout college and my career. Before I began this fellowship, you could say I was 'gleaning-curious.' I was familiar with the basic concept — volunteers harvest surplus crops from farms, which they donate to #HungerRelief efforts — but I had never actually gleaned. Now, I glean three mornings a week, traveling to local farms to pick everything from strawberries to Swiss chard.

"Gleaning is an elegant way to fight both #FoodWaste and #FoodInsecurity . Farming yields are inherently imprecise. They are influenced by weather, pests and many other factors outside of human control. That unpredictability, paired with a fast-moving economy, is challenging and often leads to surplus crops staying in the fields. Gleaning can rescue thousands of pounds of produce and provide fresh, local, nutritious meals to folks who may not be able to access them otherwise. It takes time, patience and hard work, but the process is powerful and rewarding. About halfway through the harvest season, we have rescued almost 3,000 pounds of produce, equivalent to about 2,500 meals! I am so grateful to the folks at #SixRiverFarm, #GoransonFarm and #HarvestTide #Organics who open their fields to this work."

Read more:
https://www.pressherald.com/2025/07/14/gleaning-with-mid-coast-hunger-prevention-program-reduces-waste-and-increases-community/

Archived version:
https://archive.li/Lkg1E

#SolarPunkSunday #SharingFood
#MainersHelpingMainers #MCHPP #NeighborsHelpingNeighbors #BuildingComunity #GrowYourOwnFood
#FeedingNeighbors #GYO #FarmToTable #LocalFarms #ZeroWaste #ReduceFoodWaste #FoodSecurity

#Gleaning with #MidCoast #HungerPrevention Program reduces waste and increases community

Maya Khalil, Posted July 14, 2025

"This summer, I feel very lucky to be completing a fellowship with the #MerrymeetingGleaners group at Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program. This fellowship, funded by #BowdoinCollege ’s McKeen Center for the Common Good, has provided me with knowledge and hands-on experience I will carry with me throughout college and my career. Before I began this fellowship, you could say I was 'gleaning-curious.' I was familiar with the basic concept — volunteers harvest surplus crops from farms, which they donate to #HungerRelief efforts — but I had never actually gleaned. Now, I glean three mornings a week, traveling to local farms to pick everything from strawberries to Swiss chard.

"Gleaning is an elegant way to fight both #FoodWaste and #FoodInsecurity . Farming yields are inherently imprecise. They are influenced by weather, pests and many other factors outside of human control. That unpredictability, paired with a fast-moving economy, is challenging and often leads to surplus crops staying in the fields. Gleaning can rescue thousands of pounds of produce and provide fresh, local, nutritious meals to folks who may not be able to access them otherwise. It takes time, patience and hard work, but the process is powerful and rewarding. About halfway through the harvest season, we have rescued almost 3,000 pounds of produce, equivalent to about 2,500 meals! I am so grateful to the folks at #SixRiverFarm, #GoransonFarm and #HarvestTide #Organics who open their fields to this work."

Read more:
https://www.pressherald.com/2025/07/14/gleaning-with-mid-coast-hunger-prevention-program-reduces-waste-and-increases-community/

Archived version:
https://archive.li/Lkg1E

#SolarPunkSunday #SharingFood
#MainersHelpingMainers #MCHPP #NeighborsHelpingNeighbors #BuildingComunity #GrowYourOwnFood
#FeedingNeighbors #GYO #FarmToTable #LocalFarms #ZeroWaste #ReduceFoodWaste #FoodSecurity

#Gleaning with #MidCoast #HungerPrevention Program reduces waste and increases community

Maya Khalil, Posted July 14, 2025

"This summer, I feel very lucky to be completing a fellowship with the #MerrymeetingGleaners group at Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program. This fellowship, funded by #BowdoinCollege ’s McKeen Center for the Common Good, has provided me with knowledge and hands-on experience I will carry with me throughout college and my career. Before I began this fellowship, you could say I was 'gleaning-curious.' I was familiar with the basic concept — volunteers harvest surplus crops from farms, which they donate to #HungerRelief efforts — but I had never actually gleaned. Now, I glean three mornings a week, traveling to local farms to pick everything from strawberries to Swiss chard.

"Gleaning is an elegant way to fight both #FoodWaste and #FoodInsecurity . Farming yields are inherently imprecise. They are influenced by weather, pests and many other factors outside of human control. That unpredictability, paired with a fast-moving economy, is challenging and often leads to surplus crops staying in the fields. Gleaning can rescue thousands of pounds of produce and provide fresh, local, nutritious meals to folks who may not be able to access them otherwise. It takes time, patience and hard work, but the process is powerful and rewarding. About halfway through the harvest season, we have rescued almost 3,000 pounds of produce, equivalent to about 2,500 meals! I am so grateful to the folks at #SixRiverFarm, #GoransonFarm and #HarvestTide #Organics who open their fields to this work."

Read more:
https://www.pressherald.com/2025/07/14/gleaning-with-mid-coast-hunger-prevention-program-reduces-waste-and-increases-community/

Archived version:
https://archive.li/Lkg1E

#SolarPunkSunday #SharingFood
#MainersHelpingMainers #MCHPP #NeighborsHelpingNeighbors #BuildingComunity #GrowYourOwnFood
#FeedingNeighbors #GYO #FarmToTable #LocalFarms #ZeroWaste #ReduceFoodWaste #FoodSecurity

I'm checking with #MerrymeetingGleaners to see how long they will be providing seasonal #SharingTables (I know they run June - September).

Here is the Summer schedule:

"The Sharing Tables are unstaffed tables of free produce available for anyone to take from anonymously.

Tuesdays:
- #CurtisMemorialLibrary , #BrunswickME (12-2pm)
- #PattenFreeLibrary , #BathME (12-2:30pm)
- Landing YMCA, Brunswick (12-2pm)
- Parkview Hospital, Brunswick (12-2pm)

Wednesdays:
- #TopshamPublicLibrary (12:30-2:30pm)

Thursdays:
- Bath Area Family YMCA (9-11:45am)

Fridays:
- Welcome Center, #BrunswickLanding (1-3pm)
- Tedford Housing, Brunswick (1:15-3:15pm)

Source:
https://www.mchpp.org/gleaning

#SolarPunkSunday #SharingFood
#MainersHelpingMainers #NeighborsHelpingNeighbors #BuildingComunity #GrowYourOwnFood
#FeedingNeighbors #GYO #FarmToTable #LocalFarms #ZeroWaste #ReduceFoodWaste #FoodSecurity #FoodInsecurity #Gleaners #SharingTables

I'm checking with #MerrymeetingGleaners to see how long they will be providing seasonal #SharingTables (I know they run June - September).

Here is the Summer schedule:

"The Sharing Tables are unstaffed tables of free produce available for anyone to take from anonymously.

Tuesdays:
- #CurtisMemorialLibrary , #BrunswickME (12-2pm)
- #PattenFreeLibrary , #BathME (12-2:30pm)
- Landing YMCA, Brunswick (12-2pm)
- Parkview Hospital, Brunswick (12-2pm)

Wednesdays:
- #TopshamPublicLibrary (12:30-2:30pm)

Thursdays:
- Bath Area Family YMCA (9-11:45am)

Fridays:
- Welcome Center, #BrunswickLanding (1-3pm)
- Tedford Housing, Brunswick (1:15-3:15pm)

Source:
https://www.mchpp.org/gleaning

#SolarPunkSunday #SharingFood
#MainersHelpingMainers #NeighborsHelpingNeighbors #BuildingComunity #GrowYourOwnFood
#FeedingNeighbors #GYO #FarmToTable #LocalFarms #ZeroWaste #ReduceFoodWaste #FoodSecurity #FoodInsecurity #Gleaners #SharingTables

I'm checking with #MerrymeetingGleaners to see how long they will be providing seasonal #SharingTables (I know they run June - September).

Here is the Summer schedule:

"The Sharing Tables are unstaffed tables of free produce available for anyone to take from anonymously.

Tuesdays:
- #CurtisMemorialLibrary , #BrunswickME (12-2pm)
- #PattenFreeLibrary , #BathME (12-2:30pm)
- Landing YMCA, Brunswick (12-2pm)
- Parkview Hospital, Brunswick (12-2pm)

Wednesdays:
- #TopshamPublicLibrary (12:30-2:30pm)

Thursdays:
- Bath Area Family YMCA (9-11:45am)

Fridays:
- Welcome Center, #BrunswickLanding (1-3pm)
- Tedford Housing, Brunswick (1:15-3:15pm)

Source:
https://www.mchpp.org/gleaning

#SolarPunkSunday #SharingFood
#MainersHelpingMainers #NeighborsHelpingNeighbors #BuildingComunity #GrowYourOwnFood
#FeedingNeighbors #GYO #FarmToTable #LocalFarms #ZeroWaste #ReduceFoodWaste #FoodSecurity #FoodInsecurity #Gleaners #SharingTables

I'm checking with #MerrymeetingGleaners to see how long they will be providing seasonal #SharingTables (I know they run June - September).

Here is the Summer schedule:

"The Sharing Tables are unstaffed tables of free produce available for anyone to take from anonymously.

Tuesdays:
- #CurtisMemorialLibrary , #BrunswickME (12-2pm)
- #PattenFreeLibrary , #BathME (12-2:30pm)
- Landing YMCA, Brunswick (12-2pm)
- Parkview Hospital, Brunswick (12-2pm)

Wednesdays:
- #TopshamPublicLibrary (12:30-2:30pm)

Thursdays:
- Bath Area Family YMCA (9-11:45am)

Fridays:
- Welcome Center, #BrunswickLanding (1-3pm)
- Tedford Housing, Brunswick (1:15-3:15pm)

Source:
https://www.mchpp.org/gleaning

#SolarPunkSunday #SharingFood
#MainersHelpingMainers #NeighborsHelpingNeighbors #BuildingComunity #GrowYourOwnFood
#FeedingNeighbors #GYO #FarmToTable #LocalFarms #ZeroWaste #ReduceFoodWaste #FoodSecurity #FoodInsecurity #Gleaners #SharingTables

I'm checking with #MerrymeetingGleaners to see how long they will be providing seasonal #SharingTables (I know they run June - September).

Here is the Summer schedule:

"The Sharing Tables are unstaffed tables of free produce available for anyone to take from anonymously.

Tuesdays:
- #CurtisMemorialLibrary , #BrunswickME (12-2pm)
- #PattenFreeLibrary , #BathME (12-2:30pm)
- Landing YMCA, Brunswick (12-2pm)
- Parkview Hospital, Brunswick (12-2pm)

Wednesdays:
- #TopshamPublicLibrary (12:30-2:30pm)

Thursdays:
- Bath Area Family YMCA (9-11:45am)

Fridays:
- Welcome Center, #BrunswickLanding (1-3pm)
- Tedford Housing, Brunswick (1:15-3:15pm)

Source:
https://www.mchpp.org/gleaning

#SolarPunkSunday #SharingFood
#MainersHelpingMainers #NeighborsHelpingNeighbors #BuildingComunity #GrowYourOwnFood
#FeedingNeighbors #GYO #FarmToTable #LocalFarms #ZeroWaste #ReduceFoodWaste #FoodSecurity #FoodInsecurity #Gleaners #SharingTables

#BathME - #SharingTable In-Person

Tuesday, September 22, 2026
12pm - 2:30pm

Children's Room
Patten Free Library
33 Summer Street
Bath, ME 04530

"Free fresh vegetables gleaned from #LocalFarms provided by the #MerrymeetingGleaners and #MidCoast #HungerPrevention Program. Find the Sharing Table outside the Children's Room from September-May and in the Gazebo during the summer.

Sharing tables are open to anyone, there is no income or residency requirement and they are 100% anonymous. The tables are stocked with #FreshProduce as well as some prepared items, processed using any surplus gleaned food. #TakeWhatYouNeed and leave the rest for your friends and neighbors. Produce will vary depending on what is available from the farms and gardens. Please bring your own bags."

Event page:
https://patten-lib.libcal.com/event/15944856?hs=a

FMI:
https://www.merrymeetingfoodcouncil.org/merrymeeting-gleaners

#SolarPunkSunday #PattenFreeLibrary
#FoodSecurity #FoodSharing #MaineEvents #LibrariesRule #NeighborsHelpingNeighbors #FarmToTable #BuildingCommunity #MaineLibraries #Gleaners #SharingFood #FoodSecurity

#BathME - #SharingTable In-Person

Tuesday, September 22, 2026
12pm - 2:30pm

Children's Room
Patten Free Library
33 Summer Street
Bath, ME 04530

"Free fresh vegetables gleaned from #LocalFarms provided by the #MerrymeetingGleaners and #MidCoast #HungerPrevention Program. Find the Sharing Table outside the Children's Room from September-May and in the Gazebo during the summer.

Sharing tables are open to anyone, there is no income or residency requirement and they are 100% anonymous. The tables are stocked with #FreshProduce as well as some prepared items, processed using any surplus gleaned food. #TakeWhatYouNeed and leave the rest for your friends and neighbors. Produce will vary depending on what is available from the farms and gardens. Please bring your own bags."

Event page:
https://patten-lib.libcal.com/event/15944856?hs=a

FMI:
https://www.merrymeetingfoodcouncil.org/merrymeeting-gleaners

#SolarPunkSunday #PattenFreeLibrary
#FoodSecurity #FoodSharing #MaineEvents #LibrariesRule #NeighborsHelpingNeighbors #FarmToTable #BuildingCommunity #MaineLibraries #Gleaners #SharingFood #FoodSecurity

#BathME - #SharingTable In-Person

Tuesday, September 22, 2026
12pm - 2:30pm

Children's Room
Patten Free Library
33 Summer Street
Bath, ME 04530

"Free fresh vegetables gleaned from #LocalFarms provided by the #MerrymeetingGleaners and #MidCoast #HungerPrevention Program. Find the Sharing Table outside the Children's Room from September-May and in the Gazebo during the summer.

Sharing tables are open to anyone, there is no income or residency requirement and they are 100% anonymous. The tables are stocked with #FreshProduce as well as some prepared items, processed using any surplus gleaned food. #TakeWhatYouNeed and leave the rest for your friends and neighbors. Produce will vary depending on what is available from the farms and gardens. Please bring your own bags."

Event page:
https://patten-lib.libcal.com/event/15944856?hs=a

FMI:
https://www.merrymeetingfoodcouncil.org/merrymeeting-gleaners

#SolarPunkSunday #PattenFreeLibrary
#FoodSecurity #FoodSharing #MaineEvents #LibrariesRule #NeighborsHelpingNeighbors #FarmToTable #BuildingCommunity #MaineLibraries #Gleaners #SharingFood #FoodSecurity

#BathME - #SharingTable In-Person

Tuesday, September 22, 2026
12pm - 2:30pm

Children's Room
Patten Free Library
33 Summer Street
Bath, ME 04530

"Free fresh vegetables gleaned from #LocalFarms provided by the #MerrymeetingGleaners and #MidCoast #HungerPrevention Program. Find the Sharing Table outside the Children's Room from September-May and in the Gazebo during the summer.

Sharing tables are open to anyone, there is no income or residency requirement and they are 100% anonymous. The tables are stocked with #FreshProduce as well as some prepared items, processed using any surplus gleaned food. #TakeWhatYouNeed and leave the rest for your friends and neighbors. Produce will vary depending on what is available from the farms and gardens. Please bring your own bags."

Event page:
https://patten-lib.libcal.com/event/15944856?hs=a

FMI:
https://www.merrymeetingfoodcouncil.org/merrymeeting-gleaners

#SolarPunkSunday #PattenFreeLibrary
#FoodSecurity #FoodSharing #MaineEvents #LibrariesRule #NeighborsHelpingNeighbors #FarmToTable #BuildingCommunity #MaineLibraries #Gleaners #SharingFood #FoodSecurity

#BathME - #SharingTable In-Person

Tuesday, September 22, 2026
12pm - 2:30pm

Children's Room
Patten Free Library
33 Summer Street
Bath, ME 04530

"Free fresh vegetables gleaned from #LocalFarms provided by the #MerrymeetingGleaners and #MidCoast #HungerPrevention Program. Find the Sharing Table outside the Children's Room from September-May and in the Gazebo during the summer.

Sharing tables are open to anyone, there is no income or residency requirement and they are 100% anonymous. The tables are stocked with #FreshProduce as well as some prepared items, processed using any surplus gleaned food. #TakeWhatYouNeed and leave the rest for your friends and neighbors. Produce will vary depending on what is available from the farms and gardens. Please bring your own bags."

Event page:
https://patten-lib.libcal.com/event/15944856?hs=a

FMI:
https://www.merrymeetingfoodcouncil.org/merrymeeting-gleaners

#SolarPunkSunday #PattenFreeLibrary
#FoodSecurity #FoodSharing #MaineEvents #LibrariesRule #NeighborsHelpingNeighbors #FarmToTable #BuildingCommunity #MaineLibraries #Gleaners #SharingFood #FoodSecurity

UMaine Extension Gleaning Handbook

"Webster’s New World Dictionary defines gleaning as “to harvest grain left behind by reapers.” The Maine Harvest for Hunger program has adapted the gleaning model to help get more nutritious, fresh food to more community members in need. Thanks to the generosity of local farmers, #MasterGardener Volunteers and other trained volunteers are invited into the fields to harvest designated produce for local pantries and soup kitchens. Learn more at the Maine Harvest for Hunger website.

University of Maine Cooperative Extension considers gleaning to be food harvested/sourced and transported for donation to food pantries and other organizations that provide food for those who are food insecure. This food can come from community gardens, home gardens, farm stands, and farmers markets. It can also be grown on commercial farms, where the farmer allows volunteers to glean on their farm. Crops typically gleaned are those that keep well or have a long storage life. However, even crops with a short shelf life can be gleaned if it is done quickly and the food is properly distributed for consumption or preserved for later use.

#UMaineExtension is involved in gleaning because food insecurity exists in every Maine county. Extension has a long history of addressing the research and education needs of Maine’s farming and home gardening communities with its focus on the Maine Food System. Gleaning is one way to reduce food waste and get local food to its best use—feeding local people—quickly.

Information in this handbook does not necessarily pertain to every gleaner/gleaning group, every time. It is an outline of potential ways to do gleaning. Being organized is essential, whether at a farm, garden, or pantry. Being organized includes knowing who does what, when, and where, so that the food gathered does not go to waste.

All sections can stand alone, so it is not necessary to read this handbook in a specific order. Feel free to skip to the topics relevant to your situation. This handbook is organized from the general to the specific and ends with inspirational success stories and a list of additional resources.

[...]

"Late summer is when squash, beans, flowers, and corn are typically in season. Fall is the season of hard squash, root vegetables, and potatoes, which are long-lasting storage crops. In the fall, apples are also a natural “group glean” for schools, companies, and families. Apple picking is a fall tradition, and this is a good “first glean” for new groups of volunteers. Gleaning can occur in test fields after data has been gathered at educational farms or even at farms that are growing plants to test for seed production. In Maine, #JohnnysSeeds has always been very generous when it comes to gleaning their fields."

Learn more:
https://extension.umaine.edu/harvest-for-hunger/gleaning-handbook/#additional-resources

#SolarPunkSunday #SharingFood
#MainersHelpingMainers #MOFGA #UMaineCooperativeExtension
#NeighborsHelpingNeighbors #BuildingComunity #GrowYourOwnFood
#FeedingNeighbors #GYO #FarmToTable #LocalFarms #ZeroWaste #ReduceFoodWaste #FoodSecurity #FoodInsecurity #HarvestForHunger #ReduceFoodWaste #FoodSecurity #MerrymeetingGleaners #AndroscogginGleaners #ApplePicking #EndOfHarvest #FoodSafety #YarmouthCommunityGarden #CumberlandCountyGleaning #MaineHarvestForHunger

UMaine Extension Gleaning Handbook

"Webster’s New World Dictionary defines gleaning as “to harvest grain left behind by reapers.” The Maine Harvest for Hunger program has adapted the gleaning model to help get more nutritious, fresh food to more community members in need. Thanks to the generosity of local farmers, #MasterGardener Volunteers and other trained volunteers are invited into the fields to harvest designated produce for local pantries and soup kitchens. Learn more at the Maine Harvest for Hunger website.

University of Maine Cooperative Extension considers gleaning to be food harvested/sourced and transported for donation to food pantries and other organizations that provide food for those who are food insecure. This food can come from community gardens, home gardens, farm stands, and farmers markets. It can also be grown on commercial farms, where the farmer allows volunteers to glean on their farm. Crops typically gleaned are those that keep well or have a long storage life. However, even crops with a short shelf life can be gleaned if it is done quickly and the food is properly distributed for consumption or preserved for later use.

#UMaineExtension is involved in gleaning because food insecurity exists in every Maine county. Extension has a long history of addressing the research and education needs of Maine’s farming and home gardening communities with its focus on the Maine Food System. Gleaning is one way to reduce food waste and get local food to its best use—feeding local people—quickly.

Information in this handbook does not necessarily pertain to every gleaner/gleaning group, every time. It is an outline of potential ways to do gleaning. Being organized is essential, whether at a farm, garden, or pantry. Being organized includes knowing who does what, when, and where, so that the food gathered does not go to waste.

All sections can stand alone, so it is not necessary to read this handbook in a specific order. Feel free to skip to the topics relevant to your situation. This handbook is organized from the general to the specific and ends with inspirational success stories and a list of additional resources.

[...]

"Late summer is when squash, beans, flowers, and corn are typically in season. Fall is the season of hard squash, root vegetables, and potatoes, which are long-lasting storage crops. In the fall, apples are also a natural “group glean” for schools, companies, and families. Apple picking is a fall tradition, and this is a good “first glean” for new groups of volunteers. Gleaning can occur in test fields after data has been gathered at educational farms or even at farms that are growing plants to test for seed production. In Maine, #JohnnysSeeds has always been very generous when it comes to gleaning their fields."

Learn more:
https://extension.umaine.edu/harvest-for-hunger/gleaning-handbook/#additional-resources

#SolarPunkSunday #SharingFood
#MainersHelpingMainers #MOFGA #UMaineCooperativeExtension
#NeighborsHelpingNeighbors #BuildingComunity #GrowYourOwnFood
#FeedingNeighbors #GYO #FarmToTable #LocalFarms #ZeroWaste #ReduceFoodWaste #FoodSecurity #FoodInsecurity #HarvestForHunger #ReduceFoodWaste #FoodSecurity #MerrymeetingGleaners #AndroscogginGleaners #ApplePicking #EndOfHarvest #FoodSafety #YarmouthCommunityGarden #CumberlandCountyGleaning #MaineHarvestForHunger

UMaine Extension Gleaning Handbook

"Webster’s New World Dictionary defines gleaning as “to harvest grain left behind by reapers.” The Maine Harvest for Hunger program has adapted the gleaning model to help get more nutritious, fresh food to more community members in need. Thanks to the generosity of local farmers, #MasterGardener Volunteers and other trained volunteers are invited into the fields to harvest designated produce for local pantries and soup kitchens. Learn more at the Maine Harvest for Hunger website.

University of Maine Cooperative Extension considers gleaning to be food harvested/sourced and transported for donation to food pantries and other organizations that provide food for those who are food insecure. This food can come from community gardens, home gardens, farm stands, and farmers markets. It can also be grown on commercial farms, where the farmer allows volunteers to glean on their farm. Crops typically gleaned are those that keep well or have a long storage life. However, even crops with a short shelf life can be gleaned if it is done quickly and the food is properly distributed for consumption or preserved for later use.

#UMaineExtension is involved in gleaning because food insecurity exists in every Maine county. Extension has a long history of addressing the research and education needs of Maine’s farming and home gardening communities with its focus on the Maine Food System. Gleaning is one way to reduce food waste and get local food to its best use—feeding local people—quickly.

Information in this handbook does not necessarily pertain to every gleaner/gleaning group, every time. It is an outline of potential ways to do gleaning. Being organized is essential, whether at a farm, garden, or pantry. Being organized includes knowing who does what, when, and where, so that the food gathered does not go to waste.

All sections can stand alone, so it is not necessary to read this handbook in a specific order. Feel free to skip to the topics relevant to your situation. This handbook is organized from the general to the specific and ends with inspirational success stories and a list of additional resources.

[...]

"Late summer is when squash, beans, flowers, and corn are typically in season. Fall is the season of hard squash, root vegetables, and potatoes, which are long-lasting storage crops. In the fall, apples are also a natural “group glean” for schools, companies, and families. Apple picking is a fall tradition, and this is a good “first glean” for new groups of volunteers. Gleaning can occur in test fields after data has been gathered at educational farms or even at farms that are growing plants to test for seed production. In Maine, #JohnnysSeeds has always been very generous when it comes to gleaning their fields."

Learn more:
https://extension.umaine.edu/harvest-for-hunger/gleaning-handbook/#additional-resources

#SolarPunkSunday #SharingFood
#MainersHelpingMainers #MOFGA #UMaineCooperativeExtension
#NeighborsHelpingNeighbors #BuildingComunity #GrowYourOwnFood
#FeedingNeighbors #GYO #FarmToTable #LocalFarms #ZeroWaste #ReduceFoodWaste #FoodSecurity #FoodInsecurity #HarvestForHunger #ReduceFoodWaste #FoodSecurity #MerrymeetingGleaners #AndroscogginGleaners #ApplePicking #EndOfHarvest #FoodSafety #YarmouthCommunityGarden #CumberlandCountyGleaning #MaineHarvestForHunger

UMaine Extension Gleaning Handbook

"Webster’s New World Dictionary defines gleaning as “to harvest grain left behind by reapers.” The Maine Harvest for Hunger program has adapted the gleaning model to help get more nutritious, fresh food to more community members in need. Thanks to the generosity of local farmers, #MasterGardener Volunteers and other trained volunteers are invited into the fields to harvest designated produce for local pantries and soup kitchens. Learn more at the Maine Harvest for Hunger website.

University of Maine Cooperative Extension considers gleaning to be food harvested/sourced and transported for donation to food pantries and other organizations that provide food for those who are food insecure. This food can come from community gardens, home gardens, farm stands, and farmers markets. It can also be grown on commercial farms, where the farmer allows volunteers to glean on their farm. Crops typically gleaned are those that keep well or have a long storage life. However, even crops with a short shelf life can be gleaned if it is done quickly and the food is properly distributed for consumption or preserved for later use.

#UMaineExtension is involved in gleaning because food insecurity exists in every Maine county. Extension has a long history of addressing the research and education needs of Maine’s farming and home gardening communities with its focus on the Maine Food System. Gleaning is one way to reduce food waste and get local food to its best use—feeding local people—quickly.

Information in this handbook does not necessarily pertain to every gleaner/gleaning group, every time. It is an outline of potential ways to do gleaning. Being organized is essential, whether at a farm, garden, or pantry. Being organized includes knowing who does what, when, and where, so that the food gathered does not go to waste.

All sections can stand alone, so it is not necessary to read this handbook in a specific order. Feel free to skip to the topics relevant to your situation. This handbook is organized from the general to the specific and ends with inspirational success stories and a list of additional resources.

[...]

"Late summer is when squash, beans, flowers, and corn are typically in season. Fall is the season of hard squash, root vegetables, and potatoes, which are long-lasting storage crops. In the fall, apples are also a natural “group glean” for schools, companies, and families. Apple picking is a fall tradition, and this is a good “first glean” for new groups of volunteers. Gleaning can occur in test fields after data has been gathered at educational farms or even at farms that are growing plants to test for seed production. In Maine, #JohnnysSeeds has always been very generous when it comes to gleaning their fields."

Learn more:
https://extension.umaine.edu/harvest-for-hunger/gleaning-handbook/#additional-resources

#SolarPunkSunday #SharingFood
#MainersHelpingMainers #MOFGA #UMaineCooperativeExtension
#NeighborsHelpingNeighbors #BuildingComunity #GrowYourOwnFood
#FeedingNeighbors #GYO #FarmToTable #LocalFarms #ZeroWaste #ReduceFoodWaste #FoodSecurity #FoodInsecurity #HarvestForHunger #ReduceFoodWaste #FoodSecurity #MerrymeetingGleaners #AndroscogginGleaners #ApplePicking #EndOfHarvest #FoodSafety #YarmouthCommunityGarden #CumberlandCountyGleaning #MaineHarvestForHunger

UMaine Extension Gleaning Handbook

"Webster’s New World Dictionary defines gleaning as “to harvest grain left behind by reapers.” The Maine Harvest for Hunger program has adapted the gleaning model to help get more nutritious, fresh food to more community members in need. Thanks to the generosity of local farmers, #MasterGardener Volunteers and other trained volunteers are invited into the fields to harvest designated produce for local pantries and soup kitchens. Learn more at the Maine Harvest for Hunger website.

University of Maine Cooperative Extension considers gleaning to be food harvested/sourced and transported for donation to food pantries and other organizations that provide food for those who are food insecure. This food can come from community gardens, home gardens, farm stands, and farmers markets. It can also be grown on commercial farms, where the farmer allows volunteers to glean on their farm. Crops typically gleaned are those that keep well or have a long storage life. However, even crops with a short shelf life can be gleaned if it is done quickly and the food is properly distributed for consumption or preserved for later use.

#UMaineExtension is involved in gleaning because food insecurity exists in every Maine county. Extension has a long history of addressing the research and education needs of Maine’s farming and home gardening communities with its focus on the Maine Food System. Gleaning is one way to reduce food waste and get local food to its best use—feeding local people—quickly.

Information in this handbook does not necessarily pertain to every gleaner/gleaning group, every time. It is an outline of potential ways to do gleaning. Being organized is essential, whether at a farm, garden, or pantry. Being organized includes knowing who does what, when, and where, so that the food gathered does not go to waste.

All sections can stand alone, so it is not necessary to read this handbook in a specific order. Feel free to skip to the topics relevant to your situation. This handbook is organized from the general to the specific and ends with inspirational success stories and a list of additional resources.

[...]

"Late summer is when squash, beans, flowers, and corn are typically in season. Fall is the season of hard squash, root vegetables, and potatoes, which are long-lasting storage crops. In the fall, apples are also a natural “group glean” for schools, companies, and families. Apple picking is a fall tradition, and this is a good “first glean” for new groups of volunteers. Gleaning can occur in test fields after data has been gathered at educational farms or even at farms that are growing plants to test for seed production. In Maine, #JohnnysSeeds has always been very generous when it comes to gleaning their fields."

Learn more:
https://extension.umaine.edu/harvest-for-hunger/gleaning-handbook/#additional-resources

#SolarPunkSunday #SharingFood
#MainersHelpingMainers #MOFGA #UMaineCooperativeExtension
#NeighborsHelpingNeighbors #BuildingComunity #GrowYourOwnFood
#FeedingNeighbors #GYO #FarmToTable #LocalFarms #ZeroWaste #ReduceFoodWaste #FoodSecurity #FoodInsecurity #HarvestForHunger #ReduceFoodWaste #FoodSecurity #MerrymeetingGleaners #AndroscogginGleaners #ApplePicking #EndOfHarvest #FoodSafety #YarmouthCommunityGarden #CumberlandCountyGleaning #MaineHarvestForHunger

Community-Based #SharingTables Offer New Way to Ease Hunger in #Maine

By Kathleen McLaughlin
September 1, 2024

“We need to have a table in each town. That is the ultimate goal we’re looking at here.” - #ViñaLindley

Read more:
https://www.mofga.org/stories/local-food/sharing-tables-for-hunger-relief/

#SolarPunkSunday #SharingFood
#MainersHelpingMainers #MOFGA #UMaineCooperativeExtension
#NeighborsHelpingNeighbors #BuildingComunity #GrowYourOwnFood
#FeedingNeighbors #GYO #FarmToTable #LocalFarms #ZeroWaste #ReduceFoodWaste #FoodSecurity #FoodInsecurity

Community-Based #SharingTables Offer New Way to Ease Hunger in #Maine

By Kathleen McLaughlin
September 1, 2024

“We need to have a table in each town. That is the ultimate goal we’re looking at here.” - #ViñaLindley

Read more:
https://www.mofga.org/stories/local-food/sharing-tables-for-hunger-relief/

#SolarPunkSunday #SharingFood
#MainersHelpingMainers #MOFGA #UMaineCooperativeExtension
#NeighborsHelpingNeighbors #BuildingComunity #GrowYourOwnFood
#FeedingNeighbors #GYO #FarmToTable #LocalFarms #ZeroWaste #ReduceFoodWaste #FoodSecurity #FoodInsecurity

Community-Based #SharingTables Offer New Way to Ease Hunger in #Maine

By Kathleen McLaughlin
September 1, 2024

“We need to have a table in each town. That is the ultimate goal we’re looking at here.” - #ViñaLindley

Read more:
https://www.mofga.org/stories/local-food/sharing-tables-for-hunger-relief/

#SolarPunkSunday #SharingFood
#MainersHelpingMainers #MOFGA #UMaineCooperativeExtension
#NeighborsHelpingNeighbors #BuildingComunity #GrowYourOwnFood
#FeedingNeighbors #GYO #FarmToTable #LocalFarms #ZeroWaste #ReduceFoodWaste #FoodSecurity #FoodInsecurity

Community-Based #SharingTables Offer New Way to Ease Hunger in #Maine

By Kathleen McLaughlin
September 1, 2024

“We need to have a table in each town. That is the ultimate goal we’re looking at here.” - #ViñaLindley

Read more:
https://www.mofga.org/stories/local-food/sharing-tables-for-hunger-relief/

#SolarPunkSunday #SharingFood
#MainersHelpingMainers #MOFGA #UMaineCooperativeExtension
#NeighborsHelpingNeighbors #BuildingComunity #GrowYourOwnFood
#FeedingNeighbors #GYO #FarmToTable #LocalFarms #ZeroWaste #ReduceFoodWaste #FoodSecurity #FoodInsecurity

Community-Based #SharingTables Offer New Way to Ease Hunger in #Maine

By Kathleen McLaughlin
September 1, 2024

“We need to have a table in each town. That is the ultimate goal we’re looking at here.” - #ViñaLindley

Read more:
https://www.mofga.org/stories/local-food/sharing-tables-for-hunger-relief/

#SolarPunkSunday #SharingFood
#MainersHelpingMainers #MOFGA #UMaineCooperativeExtension
#NeighborsHelpingNeighbors #BuildingComunity #GrowYourOwnFood
#FeedingNeighbors #GYO #FarmToTable #LocalFarms #ZeroWaste #ReduceFoodWaste #FoodSecurity #FoodInsecurity