Gleaning Program
Our Gleaning Program is based on strong partnerships with area farms in order to sustain reliable weekly distributions of fresh fruits and vegetables to food pantries, youth programs, and community organizations in Columbia, Dutchess and Greene Counties. To date we have worked with over 55 farms in both counties to pick-up already harvested produce every Monday and Tuesday, distributing to over 30 recipient sites on the same day to maintain peak freshness. The winter months have us gleaning more sporadically, with the occasional distribution of seconds storage vegetables.
We launched the Gleaning Program in the late spring of 2016 which runs continuously from June through November each year. Our first year culminated in the redistribution of over 31,000 pounds of sustainably grown food from over 25 farms to 15 sites on a weekly basis in Columbia County. In 2017, we expanded our program to service Mid and Northern Dutchess County, working with 15 new farms and 16 new food pantries and youth programs. In 2022, we have grown to serve four sites and partner with three farms in Greene County.
Since the creation of this program, we have expanded our offerings to include not only fresh vegetables and fruit, but also dairy, meat, and grains.
We also offer an in-field gleaning component to our program. We host businesses, after-school programs, and a variety of volunteer groups on farm to harvest whichever crop is in abundance at that time. This work generally takes place from August through October and gleans run for about two hours. We believe that providing local residents with the opportunity to harvest produce in service of their neighbors is an important part of a healthy food system. For 2021 we are focusing on only gleaning fruit crops.
If you'd like to organize a group glean for your business or volunteer group, please email aravah@longtableharvest.org.
