Gleaning Not Only Reduces Food Waste, It Broadly Benefits Communities

Gleaning is a well-established agricultural practice that involves collecting and sharing excess farm produce that did not make it into the commercial food distribution pipeline. AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer Julie Schubert describes what she learned in her nine months of service in Vermont, participating in the gleaning process. The biggest takeaway is the realization that gleaning is all about the community relationships among farmers, volunteers, collection sites, and ultimately the people receiving healthful fruits and vegetables. In the Rutland community alone in 2015, the Farm and Food Link’s Glean Team gathered and distributed 36,500 pounds of produce – nearly $60,000 worth – from 29 local farms.