Got Extra Produce? Here's How You Can Help Feed Your Community with the Downeast Gleaning Initiative

Turn Surplus Crops into Community Support: Join the Downeast Gleaning Initiative

Reduce Food Waste, Fight Food Insecurity in Maine, and Support Hancock and Washington County Families by Partnering with Us!

Maine faces the highest food insecurity rate in New England, but local partnerships are making a difference. Healthy Acadia’s Downeast Gleaning Initiative is addressing hunger head-on by connecting local farms with food assistance programs across Hancock and Washington Counties.

Through this initiative, surplus produce that might otherwise go to waste is collected—gleaned—from fields, farmers' markets, and farm stands. That fresh, nutritious food is then redistributed to a wide network of food pantries and free meal sites, helping to increase access to healthy, locally grown produce for more community members.

Healthy Acadia partners with over 45 farms to reduce food waste while feeding neighbors in need. If you’re a farmer with excess produce, partnering with the Downeast Gleaning Initiative is simple:

1. Connect With Us
   Email or call when you have surplus produce to share.

2. We’ll Coordinate the Logistics
   Whether it’s an in-field glean with volunteers or a quick pick-up from your farm stand, we take care of the details.

3. Feed Community Members
   Your produce will go directly to organizations that can put it to immediate use.

4. Know Your Impact
   At the end of the season, you'll receive a summary of your donation totals, a tax receipt, and our annual report so you can see the difference you’ve made.

Ready to partner?
For Hancock County, contact Eleanor Jones at eleanor.jones@healthyacadia.org or call 207-460-2614.
For Washington County, reach out to Lucy Zwigard at lucy.zwigard@healthyacadia.org or call 207-479-6940.

Together, we can reduce food waste and nourish our communities. Join the Downeast Gleaning Initiative today!