Gleaning pilot program kicking off in Iowa, will use volunteers to take leftover harvested crops, fruits and vegetables to help feed those in need. | Pixabay
Gleaning pilot program kicking off in Iowa, will use volunteers to take leftover harvested crops, fruits and vegetables to help feed those in need. | Pixabay
Iowa will turn back a page in history with a pilot program to help provide state residents with healthy produce.
Cerro Gordo County ISU Extension and Outreach office is one of eight sites selected for the gleaning initiative program through Gov. Kim Reynolds Taskforce for Feeding Iowans, the Globe Gazette reported. The program is slated to last three months with ambitions of extending it to nine months possibly should it prove successful.
The gleaning would involve collecting leftover harvested crops, fruits and vegetables for redistribution to those in need. Volunteers are being sought to connect local growers and farmers with communities that have populations that could use redistributed produce. The program could be exceptionally helpful with an increase in unemployment due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The goal is to ensure that we don't have waste, because we have thousands of pounds of fresh produce that gets thrown away at the end of the day everywhere,” Corrine Sills, Mason City gleaning coordinator said, the Globe Gazette reported. “We are looking at our area in Cerro Gordo County to collect those items and get to those that are less fortunate.”
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