Washington Gleaning Network

The Washington Gleaning Network is a network of gleaning organizations throughout Washington state who are working to grow the local gleaning movement. Together, we are stronger as we work to support the great work that gleaners do, and ultimately get more fresh local food into the hands of those who need it most.

In July 2024 we had the opportunity to glean from the small farm, 21 Acres in Woodinville WA. More than 25 pounds of blueberries were harvested in conjunction with Harvest Against Hunger, PCC markets, Seattle Farmers Markets and Teen Feed.

On Saturday, July 20th, 2024, more than 20 people gathered in Bellingham, WA to pick blueberries for hunger relief alongside the Washington Gleaning Network and in partnership with Christ the King (CTK) Food Share & Farm.

This collaborative glean was organized by Hopelink at Food Bank Farm in Snohomish, WA in August 2024. More than 2,000 pounds of corn was harvested in collaboration with 5 organizations including Hopelink, Ballard Food Bank, Harvest Against Hunger, Foundation for Edmonds School District and the Lake Forest Park Rotary club.

In September 2024, UVMEND (Leavenworth, WA) hosted the Roma tomato glean. A farmer practicing growing for Heinz ketchup donated 5 acres to hunger relief!

7-26-25 Bow Blueberry Glean (Facebook Post) (1) — In total, the day’s efforts yielded an impressive 150 pounds of blueberries, with 9 volunteers lending their time and energy. Skagit Gleaners coordinated the event alongside 5 participating organizations: U-District Food Bank, Community Action Skagit, CTK Farm and Food Share and, of course, the Washington Gleaning Network. Together these organizations represent at least 10 food banks, proving that a strong network of support exists within the Skagit community and Washington state.

September Blueberry Glean — Thanks to Food Bank Farm, Hopelink & everyone who came out to support hunger relief and pick blueberries at this event! What a beautiful event it was, with an excellent turn out with more than 60 people harvesting around 200 pounds of blueberries! There were so many great folks in attendance from church groups to food banks to local rotarians.

An equitable, sustainable and interconnected food system where no food is wasted and all communities thrive.

More than 22 organizations from all over WA state came together to grow connections with the first Washington Gleaning Conference 2026!

Coming up Next

Gleaning events:

Big Farm Glean in June

Join us for a Washington Gleaning Network group glean at Oxbow Farm in Carnation on Monday, June 8 10:00 am-12:30 pm, hosted by Hopelink! We’ll be harvesting seasonal produce (likely kale, lettuce, radishes, and more), that you are able to bring back to your own organization.

There will be ample parking, picnic tables, and porta-potties on site. Plan for a 10+ minute walk from the parking area to the fields, and bring close-toed shoes, weather-appropriate clothing, water, gloves, rubber bands, and bins if you have them.

Meetings:

Careit: A Food Recovery Ecosystem

As WA Gleaning Network continues to grow a more connected gleaning network across Washington, we’re looking for resources that could make your work more efficient and impactful. Careit is one worth knowing about!

Join us on July 8th at 10am (PST) as CEO Alyson Schill introduces this food recovery platform and explores how to use this innovative all-in-one tool for a gleaning program like yours.

Resources

This Gleaning Network Toolkit is a comprehensive guide developed by an Americorps Harvest VISTA for communities looking to build or strengthen their gleaning movement. Based on the work of the Washington Gleaning Network, it provides practical steps, resources, and real-world examples on assessment, outreach, sustainability, and more, for how we did this work.