GleanSLO is a program of the Food Bank Coalition of San Luis Obispo County that connects farmers and backyard growers with volunteers to harvest fruits and vegetables that would otherwise go to waste.

Website: http://www.gleanslo.org/

What is gleaning?

Gleaning is the collection of leftover crops both large and small, from farmers' fields after they have been commercially harvested or from fields where it is not economically profitable to harvest. GleanSLO has expanded this definition to include the collection of surplus produce from neighborhoods and farmers' markets.

How it works:

  • Many commercial growers and private homeowners have fruit trees, bushes, vines or entire orchards and fields that produce more fresh fruit or vegetables than they can harvest. GleanSLO invites them to register their crops online.
  • Working closely with growers, GleanSLO employees or volunteer leaders organize harvests to gather the fresh produce. Volunteer pickers sign up online, checking off a liability waiver that protects crop owners.
  • All produce is donated to the Food Bank Coalition or one of the 200+ local partner agencies throughout the county.  Donations are tax deductible.

How to get involved: 

  • Register as a volunteer and then sign up for an event on the  Harvest Calendar. Gleans are seasonal, available all over SLO county, and last about 2 hours. 

Can my organization receive gleaned produce?

  • If you are a charitable organization that serves the ill, the needy, and/or infants in San Luis Obispo County, and would like to receive food from the Food Bank Coalition follow this link to find out how to apply to become a partner agency.

See also:

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