EXTRAFOOD ANNOUNCES GLEANING PARTNERSHIP

 

Teens launch program to gather backyard produce

ExtraFood has announced a partnership with Share the Bounty, a gleaning program that rescues fruit and vegetables from backyard gardens and delivers them to people struggling with hunger.

  The organization was started in 2016 by Jack, Scott and Kate Van Hooser of Tiburon as they were walking around the neighborhood with their grandmother. They noticed how much fruit was rotting in their neighbors’ yards and the idea was born. To date, the organization has rescued over 17,000 pounds of produce.

  According to ExtraFood, many people who experience food insecurity struggle to afford nutritious foods like fresh fruits and vegetables, which are typically more expensive. With this partnership, ExtraFood will not only prevent more produce from going to waste, but also provide even more healthy fresh food to vulnerable people in our community.

   “We are thrilled to bring Share the Bounty into the ExtraFood family. We share a mission to end hunger and food waste in our community and we are impressed that it was started by three hard-working, caring teenagers. ExtraFood looks forward to expanding the current gleaning program to community gardens and farms, further decreasing food waste and providing healthy produce to people struggling with hunger,” said ExtraFood Executive Director Will Dittmar. 

   “I am really proud of my family for all that we have accomplished with our organization. Now that we will be working with ExtraFood, we can expand our volunteer network beyond friends and family as well as help more people have access to fresh, local fruits and vegetables,” said Kate Van Hooser.  

   If you have extra fruit, vegetables or herbs that you would like harvested, or have harvested yourself and would like to donate, visit extrafood.org/share-the-bounty.