Gleaning in Florida

 

In 2023, through August:
2,617,555 pounds of food gleaned and distributed
10,470,220 servings of fresh food shared
221 events held to rescue and share food
882 volunteers engaged in hands-on service
96 recipient agencies and partners

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Since 1995, The Society of St. Andrew has operated a statewide, volunteer-driven Gleaning Network in Florida that coordinates with local farmers, thousands of volunteers, and food-providing agencies. SoSA’s Florida Gleaning Network is stronger than ever, saving over ten million pounds of fresh produce for hungry people last year, alone! We are one of the few states that glean every month of the year, allowing us to donate fresh produce year-round.

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Throughout the entire state of Florida, SoSA salvages everything from onions and white potatoes to peaches, oranges, blueberries, strawberries, mangoes, starfruit, cabbage, cucumbers, okra, Brussels sprouts, plums, apples, peppers, lettuce, tomatoes, squash, and that ever so famous Zellwood sweet corn … just to name a few!

Through the Florida Gleaning Network, we coordinate volunteers across the state who actually enter fields, orchards, and groves after farmers have finished harvesting and simply pick the good produce left behind.

SoSA volunteers represent groups from various church denominations, synagogues, youth groups, schools, clubs, corporations, and families. We support food banks both large and small. We also encourage our volunteers to connect with their churches and local programs giving our volunteers the ability to donate directly to their community agencies after a gleaning.

Gleaning events take place during the week and on Saturdays, where gleaners arrive in the fields around 8:30am and are on their way home before noon. The Society of St. Andrew coordinates all logistics and arrangements with farmers, volunteers, and recipients for food distribution.

We could not do what we do without the extraordinary help from volunteers and the generosity of our Florida farmers. Please join us in this exciting hands-on ministry.

To sign up to volunteer, click the View Volunteer Calendar button on the right-hand side of your screen. You must create an online profile if it’s your first time signing up. After that, all you need to do is sign in with your email address and first name. It’s that simple! Join us and become part of the amazing team of volunteers who continue to make a huge difference in the fight against hunger!

Are you interested in planning a field trip with your School group? Scout group? Service group? Check out this video from the Florida Department of Agriculture that explains how gleaning with SoSA is a valuable, hands-on, service-learning field trip for groups of all ages.

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