Wednesday, July 09, 2014

Gleaning Vegetables in South Lincolnshire

Hi, we are urgently requiring volunteer gleaners for a huge haul of broccoli due to be gleaned in South Lincolnshire Tuesday 15th July. Please, please would you be able to share this message far and wide!
Call out to fellow gleaners – a bounty of broccoli is beckoning!
 An exciting summer of gleaning is upon us – please spread the word far and wide!  We have found thousands of beautiful broccoli going to waste on a farm in South Lincolnshire!  On Tuesday 15th July, we’ll be going on a mission to save as many as possible of these tasty delicacies for charity! All produce is going to our good friendsFareShare to be distributed to charities dealing with food poverty.
 With a promise of monthly gleanings from our friendly Lincolnshire farmers topped up with some days on our Cambridge farms, Suffolk and Norfolk farms we are looking forward to a busy and ‘fruitful’ summer with lots of valuable fruit and veg to distribute to various food charities throughout the UK.
We had some fantastic opportunities earlier this year to spread the word after two fantastic leek gleans in Lincolnshirewhere we saved almost 2 tonne of leeks over two days resulting in interviews on BBC local radio and television, which some of you contributed to. Along with some follow up in the local press and a story in the Farmers Weekly, this coverage has seen lots of new Lincolnshire gleaners and farmers across the region getting in touch. Here are a few photos of the event for you to enjoy.
Our farmers have formed partnerships with Gleaning Network UK, alerting the food waste campaign when opportunities come up to save healthy, fresh food for those who most need it. Our volunteers spend several hours harvesting and then packing the fresh veg – which is then collected and distributed it to food poverty projects such as homeless hostels and food banks to benefit those suffering food poverty.
Next gleaning day on Tuesday 15th July 10am-5pm (TBC):
Travel expenses are covered for those travelling from Cambridge, Peterborough, Boston and nearby in SouthLincolnshire – just check with us first!
Please join us in the fields! If you can make it, please contact me at vicki@feeding5k.org to confirm whether you can make the whole day, and send me your phone number and where you’ll be travelling from (e.g. Cambridge, Boston, etc.) so we can group you with fellow travel companions. We’ll then send you finalised details closer to the time.
Please get in touch asap so we have an idea of numbers – the more people we have, the more broccoli we can save! Also, please do check whether you can make it, as lots of drop outs at the last minute can jeopardise the gleaning day going ahead!
Please spread the word to your friends and networks, and do recommend any groups you think we should get in touch with! If you can't join us this time, watch this space – we’ll have more gleaning days coming up over the coming year!
See you in the fields!
All the best, 
Vicki Beers
Cambridge Gleaning Coordinator
We are 2014 BBC Food and Farming Award winners for Best Initiative in British Food.
Follow us: 
Sign the Feeding the 5000 pledge against food waste! www.feeding5k.org