BMAC Food Bank is engaged with multiple programs that aid in food waste reduction and support local agriculture systems. Food banks are highly dependent on donations from grocery stores, individual contributions, and government contracts for fresh produce. BMAC operates a weekly grocery rescue program, collecting…
BMAC, in partnership with The Sustainable Living Center, is creating a new model for a community garden. Since the pandemic, Assumption Garden has lost momentum and volunteers. Located on Assumption Church’s property, the garden has the infrastructure including ADA accessible beds, an automated drip line,…
Coordination Coordination starts with contacting farmers via phone or in person, whichever is most convenient, to ask if they have excess crops or are finished harvesting for the year. Some farmers have annual gleans with crops like apples, melons, or pumpkins. Other farmers who have…
Key Points In rural areas, working with local volunteer groups, especially ones with similar missions, is often easier than recruiting volunteers by other means Having quality volunteers requires an established incentive structure for gleaning events (i.e. volunteers need to know they will be allowed to…
Key Points Branding and name recognition are very important to the success of any nonprofit venture In rural areas, radio is an effective medium for public campaign announcements In rural areas, maintaining a social media page outside of Facebook is most likely a waste of…
Key Points Location and committed management are important to the success of a community garden. Fencing needs to extend underground in some areas to deter ground squirrels and other burrowing animals. Donated plants may not be very productive if received too late in an already…
Key points Before committing to gleaning or purchasing from any orchard (commercial or residential) consider: o Height of the trees o Condition of the ladders o Quality of fruit o Amount of volunteer…
In 2011, Providence Health Care Stevens County identified hunger as one of the leading issues in Stevens County. With the goal of finding gaps in services, fourteen of the region’s leading organizations in supplemental food distribution were brought together to discuss the challenges they faced. What resulted was…
Key Points Even when large amounts of summer squash, cucumbers, and other prolific vegetables are being donated by local gardeners, food pantries will still gladly accept the same produce from commercial growers because of its higher quality. Distribution is often the greatest barrier to providing…
The gleaning coordinator works to network with interested stakeholders, partners, and potential volunteers while showcasing accomplishments. Outreach, engagement, recruitment, and retention are the building blocks to a sustainable volunteer relationship. OUTREACH A successful gleaning program is reliant on a few invested volunteers and lots of…