About Fredericton Food Rescue
FFR is a Fredericton based food picking project, supported by volunteers inspired by the desire to give back to the community, reduce food waste and promote sustainable living.
Our group is building a network of farmers and backyard growers who are keen to have their excess fruit and vegetables harvested by volunteers for their families and for local food banks and other charitable food organizations in the Fredericton area.
We harvest from trees and gardens in the city and from farms a short drive away. We are always looking for more growers and more volunteers who share our passion for fresh food, decreasing waste and sharing the abundance!
2016 Growing Season
9 Gleaning Events
3,400 lb Produce Harvested
1,200 lb Produce Donated
200 Volunteer Hours
6 Community Organizations Benefit*
The 2016 growing season was Fredericton Food Rescue’s first year. We organized 9 gleaning events that resulted in over 3,400 pounds of produce being harvested, with over 1,200 pounds of fresh produce donated to local food banks and community groups.
*Greener Village food bank, Salvation Army food bank, MCAF,
Youth in Transition house, Fredericton Soup Kitchen, Devon Middle School
How does gleaning work?
Volunteer pickers receive a share of the harvest in exchange for their labour; another equal portion is donated to community organizations and the grower retains the remainder of the harvest.
It begins with growers identifying a crop that is available for picking and determining the date and time for gleaning.
A notice of a date and time for the harvest of a particular crop will be sent out to individuals and organizations who have identified their interested in gleaning. (Note, gleanings may be arranged on short notice due to crop availability).
Individuals must register for the pick as soon as possible after the notification is sent out. A maximum will be set for the number of people that can participate that is in line with the amount of food available to be harvested.
Those registered to harvest will receive a notice confirming the date, location and instructions on how to prepare for the picking.
On the day of the harvest, the Gleaning Coordinator will be on site to provide directions.
What is gleaning?
Gleaning is an ancient practice of collecting fruit and vegetables that remain after the main harvesting is completed. Today, both farmers and backyard growers are interested in seeing that the food they grow does not go to waste and is instead enjoyed by others. Gleaning food is a dignified way to address food insecurity in a community. Gleaning is also a fun way to get connected to the food we eat and to a community of like-minded people.