Field Gleaning as a Tool for Addressing Food Security at the Local Level: Case Study

Field gleaning, or harvesting crops after the commercial harvest, has been promoted as a way to increase food security; however, the effectiveness of gleaning programs is not well documented. The purpose of this research was to explore the impact of gleaning on individual gleaners and the community by documenting total amounts gleaned, individual uses of produce, and self-reported benefits and barriers to gleaning. During the 1997 season, ~50 gleaners participated in the Pierce County Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program Gleaning Project; 29 participated in an intensive 4-week study to track use of produce by gleaners. Onsite weighing of gleaned produce revealed that of the 110,000 pounds gleaned by these 50 gleaners from Pierce County farms and orchards during 1997, 85,000 pounds (77%) were donated to local emergency food programs; 25,000 pounds (23%) were taken home by gleaners. Of the produce taken home by the 29 study participants, an estimated 9% was used fresh, 48% was preserved for later user, and 43% was shared with others. During a combination of telephone and in-person interviews, gleaners reported using more fresh produce and sharing knowledge about gardening and food preservation. The most important benefits of gleaning were “stretching my food budget” and “helping provide food for the community.” Detailed exploration of the impact of gleaned produce on dietary patterns and use of validated food security measures is warranted considering the volume of produce used fresh, preserved for later use, and given away by gleaning participants.