Teams gathering unwanted crops for Maine Harvest for Hunger

Since 2000, the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Maine Harvest for Hunger program has donated nearly 3 million pounds of produce to help address food insecurity in the state. 

In addition to donations from home and community gardeners, farmers and UMaine Extension Master Gardener Volunteers, contributions come from field-gleaning teams statewide to aid hunger relief organizations, including more than 200 Maine food pantries.

Gleaning is the act of gathering unwanted crops from farmers’ fields. UMaine Extension helps connect farmers, volunteers and food pantries in this effort. Should excess produce be available, one farm may have an on-call UMaine Extension Master Gardener Volunteers gleaning team, while another farm may tap volunteers for planned gleaning efforts. 

To learn more about UMaine Extension’s Maine Harvest for Hunger program and to find locations of gleaning events across the state, contact Frank Wertheim, frank.wertheim@maine.edu; 207.324.2814.