Thursday, March 20, 2014

Gleaning day on 29th March nr Broadstairs

We're really excited for 2014! In 2013, we already gleaned approximately 48 tonnes of produce, equal to over 200,000 meals, with over 200 volunteers across 18 gleaning days. We launched gleaning hubs in Kent, Cambridgeshire, Sussex, Bristol, London and Manchester, and we hope over the comingyear to expand to other regions like Lincolnshire and Scotland. We also achieved extensive media coverage, including Channel 4's River Cottage, the Guardian, BBC Radio 4's Food Programme and Al Jazeera.
In 2014, we hope to do far more!

We're happy to announce that we've found thousands of earthy brassicas going to waste, ready for gleaning. It's on a farm we've gleaned from many times before, who enjoyed having us in February so much that they've invited us back! Last month, we managed to salvage nearly 2 tonnes of cabbages and cauliflowers that would otherwise have been wasted, and we hope to do the same again! Join us in the fields of Kent!
Gleaning day on Saturday 29th March 10am-5pm (TBC):
Join the Arable Spring! Join us for an idyllic day on a farm near Broadstairs in the Kent countryside, saving literally tonnes of delicious brassica that would otherwise have been wasted for charity. All the food will be going to charities dealing with food poverty via our good friends FareShare in London. Travel expenses are covered for those travelling from Kent and London – just check with us first!

Please join us in the fields! If you can make it, please contact me at ren@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. London, Kent, etc.) so we can group you with fellow travel companions. We’ll then send you finalized details closer to the time. Please get in touch asap so we have an idea of numbers – the more people we have, the more brassica 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!
We're also looking for a driver to transport the produce from the farm to FareShare in London - if you'd be interested in driving a van (normal driving license required) for the day, then please get in touch!

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!
Many thanks,
Haven’t signed the Feeding the 5000 pledge yet? Go to http://www.feeding5k.org/ and make your voice heard!
What is Gleaning?
Gleaning Network UK, recently featured on BBC Radio 4's Food Programme and Al Jazeera, and organised by Tristram Stuart and Feeding the 5,000, is an exciting new initiative to save the thousands of tonnes of fresh fruit and vegetables that are wasted on UK farms every year. Farmers across the country often have no choice but to leave tonnes of their crops unharvested and get ploughed back in the soil. These crops often cannot reach the market either because they fail to meet the retail strict cosmetic standards or because of overproduction.

We coordinate teams of volunteers, local farmers and food redistribution charities in order to salvage this fresh, nutritious food and direct it to those that need it most, such as homeless hostels and charities. To date, we have salvaged several tonnes of excellent unmarketable British produce, including apples, cabbages, cauliflowers, spring greens and kale, and redistributed them to charities such as FareShare and the Best Before Project. Here's some more info, our video, and pictures of our last gleaning day.
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