How does gleaning work?
Farmers, grocers and other donors call Linn Benton Food Share when they have surplus crops, bread, produce, and other foods to donate. Gleaners harvest these excess crops and pick up the donated foods. They also repack them into manageable portions and distribute them among their members.
Gleaners share fifty-fifty with their adoptee households. These are households where no one is able to glean because of health problems or other serious limitations.
Linn Benton Food Share’s gleaning program works side-by-side with farmers/growers and local grocers to keep good food from going to waste. Last year, our Gleaning Program collected and distributed more than two million pounds of unsold food and gleaned fruits and vegetables. Most of the households that received the nutritious food include children, disabled and elderly people.
Wood Share is a component of the Gleaning Program, and shares donated firewood with gleaners and their adoptees who rely on wood for winter warmth.
How can I become a gleaner?
Fourteen gleaning groups are located throughout Linn and Benton counties. For more information on a group near you, please call Susan James 541-758-2645 or send her an e-mail at sjames@communityservices.us.
