On the Olympic Peninsula, the majority of gleaning occurs on small to medium scale, diverse vegetable farms, which brings in a great abundance and variety of vegetables. The different kinds of row crop gleans in the second season have included abandoned surplus crops, abandoned damaged…
2015 marks the second year of the gleaning project, but the first year for WSU Extension Jefferson County sponsorship (the previous year the gleaning project went by a different name). Therefore, a great deal of marketing was employed to promote both the concept of gleaning…
Recruiting volunteers for gleaning on the Olympic Peninsula is a test of persistence and creativity. There are no cities here and no big colleges or universities, and overall it is not very densely populated. Yet, there are many ways to spread the word about the…
Promotional materials are a must. Develop handouts and flyers for potential volunteers and donors. Materials can inform both groups and the general public or can target one group at a time. Flyers can be a poster-like and/or pull tab. For events, it’s great to have…
“Culling is the sorting or segregation of fresh harvested produce into marketable lots, with the non-marketable lots being discarded or diverted into food processing or non-food processing activities” -Wikipedia The Clallam County Gleaning Program has a much less formal process for recovering culls compared with Fruit…
It is never too early to start working on donor outreach. Unlike the growing of fruits and vegetables, building relationships with farmers, farmer’s market managers, and property owners have no off-season. Make it a routine goal to attend farmer’s markets, talk with local farmers, and…
Everybody works hard to earn a living and to provide for themselves and others. In terms of a gleaning program, this includes the volunteers in the fields, food banks, and everyone in between. When a farmer has planned a season in advance, purchased from seed,…
In order to engage volunteers, it is a good idea to expand their knowledge of local, available produce. New or unusual produce can be featured in the volunteer newsletter. This will encourage volunteers to come to gleaning events that might not otherwise interest them. A…
Clallam County has a rich history of home and farm orchards. The tree fruit in the area includes Apples, Peaches, Cherries, Plums, Pears, and Figs. In addition to this tree fruit, Clallam County can grow several nuts, berries, and vegetables. The environmental good fortune of…
In a location of produce abundance such as Clallam County, finding available produce is not a challenge. Often there is more available than volunteers can pick. Therefore, volunteers should be encouraged to be politely selective about what they harvest and donate. This will ensure that…