There are many ways that GleanKY obtains the produce that we glean. Sometimes we go to grocery stores that are tossing out their excess inventory. Other times we go to farmers markets, where farmers give us the produce that didn’t sell and will likely spoil before the next market day. And then there are the times we go out to the fields and orchards to glean—those times are the most fun!—harvesting windfall apples and vegetables like pumpkins or peppers that wouldn’t get harvested before a frost hit.
However, one important way anyone can get involved with the gleaning process is by “planting it forward.” GleanKY’s Plant It Forward initiative encourages gardeners to dedicate a row (or more!) of their garden to gleaning. You go ahead and harvest the majority of your garden for your table, but for that dedicated row, you harvest for the hungry.
Once the gardening season revs up, we’ll let you know about a drop-off point near you, where you can take that produce for GleanKY to pick up and distribute. If you have an extremely large garden, we can even come help you harvest. Just give us a call!
While taking your excess produce to a feeding program is always welcome, Plant It Forward is an intentional way of ensuring you’re getting fresh food to people who need it most.
To help get your Plant It Forward garden started, pick up one of our Plant It Forward kits at the Heirloom Seed Sale on March 4 & 5. The kit contains seeds of our recipients’ favorite vegetables to prepare:
- Crookneck Summer Squash
- Bushy Cucumbers
- Red Bull Nose Peppers
- Austin’s Red Pear Tomatoes
- Picnic Watermelons
- Ideal Market Stringless Beans
Your Plant It Forward garden can contain other vegetables, too, but we thought this would give you a good start. Buy a packet at the sale, and you’ll also be entered into a drawing to receive a few garden tools from our friends at Earth Tools. It’s a win-win!