Join the MO Glean Team!

Produce left in the field because it doesn’t meet aesthetic requirements of the market, but is harvested anyway, is termed “gleaned.” This can account for up to 20% of what is grown: potatoes, squashes, spinach, leeks, beets, carrots, arugula, lettuces, meats, eggs, yogurt, ice cream, and more.

Marin Organic incorporates gleaned food into their Organic School Lunch and Gleaning Program, supplementing school purchases with the produce. This offsets cost, enabling schools to choose local and organic while staying within their budgets. Marin Organic has donated and delivered over 100,000 pounds of gleaned products to about half the schools, camps, and underserved communities in Marin. Each week the program enables 12,000 children to enjoy organic foods grown from Marin soils.

What’s new about the program? Scott Davidson, the Program Manager, has made gleaning open to any and all who would like to contribute their time in the field. Hilary Jeffris of Mill Valley, a newcomer to the group, was so excited about her experience that she posted to the Marin Open Garden Project blog on Monday, August 10th:

“While I work at the College of Marin IVC farm every Wednesday, it was a great experience for my kids to try their hand at ‘real’ agricultural work. Don't get me wrong, we harvest from our home garden and regularly work together at the Park Elementary School Garden. But this was an opportunity for them to directly ‘give back’ to kids who don't have the access to fresh, local, organic food that we do.”

Visit Marin Organic’s website (www.marinorganic.org) and get on their “glean team” email list. Extra hands make “short work” of the task at hand. - Paige Phinney, Marin Organic

To join the Marin Organic Glean Team, please contact Program Manager Scott Davidson at 415.663.9667 or scott@marinorganic.org. "There's plenty of food to glean and so many people to feed. Many hands make light work."