No good food should go to waste!
OUR MISSION
To ensure healthy, nutritious, fresh produce is available free of charge to as many as possible experiencing food insecurity across Cornwall and West Devon and to reduce on farm and other food waste.
Fresh fruits and vegetables are going to waste. Thousands of hungry people in Cornwall are in need of nourishing, healthy food.
Gleaning Cornwall works to reduce farm waste, rescuing produce so it ends up on hungry peoples’ tables, instead of in a landfill or rotting in the field. But, we don’t do it alone. Thanks to our dedicated team of volunteers, growers and financial donors, Gleaning Cornwall, brings apples, squash, tomatoes, broccoli, carrots, potatoes, cabbages and many other kinds of healthy fruits and vegetables, completely free of charge, to organisations feeding our hungry Cornish families.
This waste is not the fault of the farmers but is a result of:
- having great growing conditions, so there is surplus.
- Crops grow at different rates and with the cost of labour being high, it is sometimes not economically viable to harvest a crop more than once or twice.
- Farmers need to slightly over produce to ensure they have enough for their contracts.
- Crops may be slightly too big, too small, the wrong shape or colour.
- Market conditions change.
Together, we can do more. There are many ways to get involved, working together we can continue to rescue hundreds of tonnes of healthy food for hungry people…
Currently delivering to more than 80 locations in the county, 22 of which are faith organisations, 11 are Trussell Trust food banks, 11 are community ladders, 4 community fridges and 34 other organisations plus around 30 organisations who receive our produce indirectly.
Through figures provided by these organisations, it is estimated that our produce contributes to feeding over 12,000 people each week!
We also glean other produce, eg, coffee, biscuits, eggs and cream that can’t be sold but are perfectly good.
A lot of our winter veg such as brassicas are grown in Cornwall. Our fantastic volunteers brave the mud and the weather, filling hundreds of crates each week with food that would otherwise be ploughed back into the ground.
By reducing food waste, gleaning also reduces associated greenhouse gasses. If food waste were a country, it would be the third largest emitting country, after China and the US, in the world!
OUR NETWORK
OUR TEAM
Holly Whitelaw
Founder Fundraiser & Manager
“Gleaning makes sense, has taught me a great deal and is such fun. The team and volunteers are awesome and I will do all I can to keep us going.”
Jeni Duncan
Mid Cornwall Gleaning Coordinator
“I’ve come to gleaning from the colourful and diverse world of festivals, where flexibility & thinking on your feet are essential skills due to ever changing situations . Gleaning is much the same vibe, seeing an opportunity to rescue good quality waste food, actioning a team, and getting it out quickly to those in need. Simple and effective.”
Karen Ross
Assistant volunteer gleaning coordinator
“I joined the gleaning network team as a volunteer because I wanted to help, in a practical way, move produce from field to fork. My background is in education and working with young people.”
Katie Smith
South East Cornwall Co-ordinator
“I love gleaning as it’s such a great way of reducing food waste and delivering it to the people who need it most, whilst meeting new people and bringing communities together. I mean what’s not to love! When not gleaning I’m growing small scale organic vegetables for a local veg box scheme!”
Sarah Carpenter
North Cornwall Co-ordinator
“A good friend led me to find out more about gleaning as they thought it was right up my street. They were right. It’s an honour to be a part of the team. I run my own veg box scheme, in between homeschooling my children.”
Roz and Jane
St Newlyn East Volunteer Coordinators
“We love organising gleans as it’s great to see a group of like minded people in a field saving food from waste. and it going off to foodbanks and other food distributors. So we are not only saving food but helping others. It gives you a really good feeling being in the field, in the fresh air helping others.”
OUR PHOTOS
We appreciate your financial support
If you are able to give to Gleaning Cornwall at this time – thank you so much!
People give to Gleaning Cornwall in many ways and we are incredibly thankful for all the practical support, gifts of time, petrol, flapjacks, heart and energy given freely by all our volunteers. Their gifts are without numbers. We would not be able to run Gleaning Cornwall without them.
Last year we donated over 80 tonnes of veg to feed people in food poverty.
Our current needs
One off donors, winter brings the heaviest expenses as we try to get veg out of wet, windy and muddy fields
We are hoping to increase the number of regular monthly donors. This gives us some financial stability and helps us plan for the future
The day-to-day costs of running Gleaning Cornwall have increased in line with rising costs of living and inflation.
Where does our funding come from?
Funding applications
Donations from individuals
Donations from organisations who appreciate the work we do
How are donations used?
Running cost of the 2 4×4 trucks we use to get veg out of the fields
Salaries (currently, 6 part-time gleaning coordinators)
Millage expenses for volunteer drivers to distribute veg
Training in First Aid, Manual Handling, Health and Hygiene, Safeguarding & trailer driving
Insurance
Equipment
Promotion
Gleaning Cornwall runs entirely on donations. Your donation ensures local surplus produce gets to those most in need. All food is given to organisations feeding people in food insecurity, we never make any charge
Ways to Donate to Gleaning Cornwall
Paypal
You can use the Paypal donate button on this page.
Gleaning Cornwall is run under the financial umbrella of Regenerative Food and Farming Community Interest Company and whilst 100% of you donation will go to Gleaning Cornwall, Regenerative Food and Farming CIC administer this on our behalf.
Through your Bank
You can email
gleaningcornwall@gmail.com and we can send you bank details of where to set up payments
ONE OFF OR MONTHLY DONATIONS
We appreciate any regular giving as it helps us plan ahead and cover general costs and salaries.
Thank you for your support
Support the work of Gleaning Cornwall network
