Farm Harvesting (Gleaning)

Maximizing the Impact of Food




FareStart’s Food Resourcing programs are designed to make the most of every ingredient—reducing food waste while increasing access to fresh, nutritious, and culturally relevant food.

We partner with local farms and food producers to recover high-quality produce that might otherwise go to waste, incorporating it into meals that nourish our community. Through this work, we also support local growers and strengthen a more sustainable, equitable food system.

Since 2017, we have:

• Recovered and redistributed over 1.3 million pounds of food
• Put more than $2.4 million worth of food to good use




Our partners include local farms such as Oxbow Farm & Conservation Center, 21 Acres, tBug, Beacon Food Forest and Carnation Farms.

Gleaning

Join us at the farm during gleaning season (June–October) and be part of this hands-on impact.

FareStart’s Food Resourcing Team works alongside volunteers and farm partners to harvest surplus produce—items that are perfectly good but may be considered “seconds,” excess, or simply not marketable.

Together, we:

• Recover fresh produce directly from local farms
• Prevent food waste at the source
• Help supply ingredients for FareStart’s Community & School Meals 

Why It Matters

Every pound of food recovered supports our mission—transforming lives, disrupting poverty, and nourishing communities—while ensuring good food doesn’t go to waste.