What is gleaning?
Gleaning is the practice of collecting leftover or excessive food from crops or trees. Gleaning can be done on large-scale farms or on a single tree outside of your house. Around 20% of Californians experience food insecurity, while thousands of pounds of produce go to waste every year. Notably, food banks consistently say they are not receiving enough fresh produce and healthy food to meet local needs. Gleaning is one way to prevent food waste and help feed those in need by encouraging food recovery.
What do we do?
Our team at the Solid Waste Division does gleanings for City of Modesto residents. If you have a fruit tree that you expect to have excess fruit, our team can help you prevent waste by picking the fruit and making sure it gets to those in need. We can also work with volunteers to teach them how to glean and connect them with locations.
Where do we donate the food we glean?
We donate the produce to local food donation centers and food recovery organizations, such as the Food Initiative of Greater Stanislaus (FIGS).
How can you get involved?
If you are interested in setting up a gleaning, please call the Solid Waste division at 209-577-5494 or email the Solid Waste Division for more information.
