Produce Recovery and Gleaning Program

This program model helps organizations to collaborate with farmers to build sustainable gleaning and produce recovery programs. Harvest VISTAs address issues and challenges related to the supply chain management, such as the transportation and distribution of gleaned produce. All recovered and gleaned produce, which is nutritionally dense and locally grown, is distributed to food insecure populations through local partners.

Potential Harvest VISTA activities could include:

• Build a volunteer recruitment plan and sustainable volunteer management practices.

• Coordinate gleaning and produce recovery events in order to collect and distribute fresh produce through local hunger response networks.

• Develop and implement an outreach strategy to bring awareness to gleaning programs and solicit support from local gardeners, farmers, etc.