Farms to Food Pantries – Multi-County Apple Gleaning

January 13, 2010 Written by Beth

Volunteer gleaners Katherine & Liz gleaning apples at Montebello Farm

Thank you so much to Liz & Katherine for participating in our tri-county apple gleaning, and to the wonderful folks at Montebello Farms for your generous donation! photo: Beth McLendon

On October 12th and 27th, UlsterCorps volunteers participated in a region-wide gleaning initiative. Stiles Najac, Food Security Coorindator for CCE Orange, contacted us about a farmer in Columbia County who was willing to let us glean at his orchard. We put together a team of volunteers from Ulster and Dutchess Counties. The 1500lbs of apples we picked were distributed to food pantries and soup kitchens in Ulster, Dutchess and Orange Counties the same day by volunteers on their way home. Thank you so much to everyone who participated!

Ulster County Hunger Prevention Coalition
Freeman article about this initiative

Liz, our chief of covert gleaning operations. photo: Beth McLendon

Beth McLendon, co-founder and director of UlsterCorps, was one of several people picking apples at the Montebello Farm in Germantown, which donates apples to various food pantries. UlsterCorp was working in conjunction with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Orange County. (Freeman photo by Tania Barricklo)