Veggies For All (VFA) gleaning works with area farmers to redirect unused/surplus produce into area hunger relief programs and drop off sites to increase access to those in need of fresh, nutritious food. VFA works closely with the food pantries, soup kitchens, churches, and drop off sites to distribute the fresh food.
How does our gleaning work? We can arrange a time to drop-off, can facilitate pick-up, or may be able to provide supervised volunteers to come harvest from your fields. Donations are tax-deductible.
Volunteers are essential to making this project possible. To volunteer for VFA’s gleaning project, please click here. If you are a farmer looking to donate your product, please email Allie at vfagleaning@gmail.com or call 385-7830.
A brief history of the project
Veggies For All (VFA) has been an important Unity-area hunger relief effort since 2007. The project was founded by young farmers as a food bank farm and spent over a decade custom growing produce for food pantry and soup kitchen partners. The program has been operated under the banner of Unity Barn Raisers and, most recently, Maine Farmland Trust and has partnered extensively with the Volunteer Regional Food Pantry and Unity College. As of Summer 2019, UBR has re-adopted VFA as MFT sought a transition for the program. VFA now operates as a gleaning only project.
Since the gleaning project started in late 2015, over 81,000lbs of produce have been redirected to hunger programs in Waldo County! Please help us continue to make this project get food in the hands of those that need it most, while reducing food waste in our community.
