Frequently Asked Questions
Can I bring my friend?
Sure. Feel free to bring a few friends or family members.What should I bring to the glean site?
Bring a ladder if you need one, bags or boxes to put the produce in, water/a hat/sturdy shoes and a smile and thank you for the homeowner.Has the fruit been sprayed with chemicals?
Sometimes. Our gleans take place at a wide variety of properties, from 20-acre orchards to urban backyards. We try to include spray information on the glean posting if we know it.
photo credit: Diane Urbani de la PazWhy are the gleans being taken so quickly?
Gleans are often snatched up quickly during the spring and early summer, when there are many interested Gleaners and few glean sites. Later in the summer when produce is abundant, however, there are a lot more gleaning opportunities. It is worth it to sign up as a Backup Gleaner, because one or two Lead Gleaners usually have to cancel each week. If you are the Backup Gleaner, you will be notified by email if the Lead Gleaner cancels.
Do I get to take some of the fruit home?
Feel free! We ask our Gleaners to donate about half of what they harvest to folks in need.
What if I can't glean all the produce at the site?
Please let the Gleaning Coordinator know if there is enough extra produce left at the site to justify sending out a second Gleaner.
What if I get to a site and the produce is no good/not ripe/overripe/too high up, etc?
Thank the homeowner for their time, but explain to them that you will not be able to harvest from them. This is a good opportunity to politely educate the homeowner on what the issue is. Afterward, please fill out the Gleaning Survey to give us any feedback you might have on the site. This will help us determine whether it is worth sending a gleaner out there again in the future.
