Gleaning Program available at FOODShare , Inc.

Updated by: LTel
Created at: Sat Oct 06 18:13:07 +0000 2007
Updated at: Sat Oct 06 18:13:07 +0000 2007

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FOOD Share's Gleaning Operation

A 29-year tradition that helped launch our food bank

Gleaning the fields and farms of Ventura County was one of the first activities in launching FOOD Share as Ventura County’s only regional food bank in 1978.

Throughout the years, our gleaning program has prospered, with over 100 volunteer gleaners helping us gather produce for the hungry in the fields and farms of Ventura County. More than twenty local farming companies graciously allow us to go into their fields and glean various fruits and vegetables that otherwise would be chopped and dug under. We usually have two different crews out picking the produce on a daily basis, Monday through Friday, throughout the year. Five trucks from our transportation fleet support these on-going efforts.

We have averaged between 50,000 and 60,000 pounds of produce each month during the past year. Harvested produce is then returned to the warehouse where it is sorted, boxed and distributed to over 200 countywide agencies involved in feeding people in need..

We meet at various locations throughout the western portion of the county each weekday morning starting about 8:00 a.m. and leaving the meeting place to go to the field at 8:30. Most of the time we stop picking the crop at 10:00 or 10:15 a.m. All volunteers are asked to come out at least once a week and others do participate more often. Mostly seniors, they enjoy helping their neighbors in need in this important task and enjoy the exercise, activity and camaraderie.

Interested in joining our Gleaning team?
Please call Meg Horton,
our Volunteer Coordinator, 805/983-7100 ext. l05

Typical items gleaned would be: broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, grapefruit, green onions, lemons, lettuce, oranges, radishes and possible seasonal produce such as: avocados, bell peppers, chiles, corn, cucumbers, green onions, kiwis, pumpkins, squash, strawberries, tomatoes, and walnuts.

Many homeowners with trees that have more fruit than they can use also call to ask us to pick their trees. Some volunteers have agreed to help with these requests and arrange to go to these houses, pick the fruit being offered, and bring it back to FOOD Share.

We have gleaned crops from the following companies' fields, and salute them for their care of the poor and hungry:

Del Monte

Boskovich Farms

Chiquita Fresh

Driscolls

Calavo Growers

Purepak, Inc.

Beylik Farms

Duda Farm Fresh Foods

San Miguel Produce

Leavens Ranches

Fresh Inovations

Seaboard Produce

Jimenez Farms

Angelou Farms

Western Onion Sales

Juarez Produce

Friends Ranch

Dudley Ranch

McGrath Family Farms

Hobson Ranch

In addition to the above there are smaller family operations with usually one type of crop such as oranges or kiwis that give us a large number of pounds of that product. We are deeply grateful to these donors, who help us to feed over 100,000 unduplicated people in need in Ventura County.

Interested in joining our Gleaning team?
Please call Meg Horton,
our Volunteer Coordinator, 805/983-7100 ext. 105

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