40,000 Pounds of Fresh Local Produce Gleaned in 2021

According to Feeding America, nearly 40% of food is wasted in the United States every year. That’s right - 108 billion pounds - 130 billion meals - more than $408 billion in food - is thrown away each year. In a region where an estimated 1 in 7 people are food insecure, Healthy Acadia’s Downeast Gleaning Initiative wants to make sure as many people as possible have access to healthy, local food.

Gleaning, the process of collecting excess fresh foods from farms, gardens, farmers markets, grocers, or other sources in order to provide it to those in need, reduces food waste, strengthens local food systems, and helps to build stronger communities by bringing people together and re-connecting them to where their food comes from. Gathering fruits and vegetables that would otherwise go unharvested is also good for the planet - rotting food waste contributes to greenhouse gas emissions.

Healthy Acadia’s Downeast Gleaning Initiative collected nearly 40,000 pounds of fruits and vegetables from local farms and gardens in 2021, resulting in over 210,000 servings of healthy food for community members in Hancock and Washington counties. Amid the ongoing pandemic, we connected 245 local volunteers to farms and gardens across the region, providing a healthy and meaningful opportunity for community members to give back to others.

Highlights from the 2021 season include a new partnership with Dan-a-Dew Farm, Welch Farm, Wecogus Farm and Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry that resulted in the distribution of 3,600 pounds of blueberries to food pantries in Hancock and Washington counties. To increase the volume of produce donations on the Blue Hill peninsula, we built a spacious refrigerated food storage unit with support from No Kid Hungry and Maine Farmland Trust.

Thank you to our 2021 gleaning partners: Backstage Farm, Bar Harbor Farm, Beech Hill Farm, Blue Hill Community Garden, Blue Hill Parsonage, Blue-Zee Farm, Catholic Charities, Clayfield Farm, Crossroad Farm, Folklore Farm, Four Season Farm, Garen's Greens, Horsepower Farm, Jeff Milliken, Joe Tracy, Johnston’s Apple Orchard, Josh Pond Farm, King Hill Farm, Northern Bay Organics, Linnette and Shep Erhart, Pat and Mike's Garden, Rainbow Farm, Rogers Farm, Roque Farm, Runwater Farm, Simons Hancock Farm, Smith Family Farm, Tide Mill Organic Farm, UMaine Cooperative Extension, USDA Farmers to Families Food Box Program, Washington Academy, Welch Farm, Wild Breads of Acadia, and Wild Tilth Farm.

Healthy Acadia’s Downeast Gleaning Initiative partners with local farms and food assistance programs to prevent food waste and make healthy food available to more people in our community. Developed in 2013 in partnership with University of Maine Cooperative Extension, the project has redistributed over 333,000 pounds of healthy local food. 

To get involved, contact: 

Hancock County Food Programs Manager: Rachel Emus, rachel@healthyacadia.org

Washington County Food Programs Manager: Regina Grabrovac, regina@healthyacadia.org