After a farm’s commercial harvest, there is almost always food left in the field. Too small, too many, too late in the season to sell. Gleaning programs send volunteers out to collect that food and get it to local pantries and meal programs before it goes to waste.
Both programs in the Monadnock region are part of New Hampshire Gleans, a statewide initiative that works with organizations across the state to broaden awareness and impact of gleaning on food insecurity.
The Community Kitchen’s gleaning program works with around a dozen farms and community gardens throughout Cheshire County. Food collected through field gleans goes directly to community members through The Community Kitchen’s Pantry and Hot Meals programs. In 2022, the program gleaned 22,528 pounds of food from local farms and gardens.
Hillsborough Gleaning is part of the Hillsborough Conservation District and gleans from dozens of farms and community gardens throughout Hillsborough County, bringing fresh produce to food access programs across the region.