10/01/08 Harvest Against Hunger

Harvest Against Hunger. I'm Greg Martin with today's Line On Agriculture. Hunger is an issue that many of us really never see. We don't know what it is like to not have an ample amount of food on the table, but it is real and a new organization is looking to ag producers for help in providing for the hungry in Washington State. FINE: Harvest Against Hunger is a pilot project that's trying to start a statewide gleaning program and the idea is to sort of be a clearing house where growers who have damaged produce or surplus produce, something that is unmarketable for any reason can call up our 1-800 number and we can do all the coordination of how to get that produce into food banks for hungry families. That's Julie Fine, Program Director for Harvest Against Hunger. FINE: We are a new project but funded by several 25 year old non-profits in the Seattle area and in the pilot phase of this project we're focusing on areas that have a good strong combination of a volunteer base and a strong agricultural community and a local food bank where that produce can go directly. Fine says they are looking for any ag producers that might be interested in participating in the project and really want just about any commodity that is harvested here in the northwest. They are going back to an old idea that may just be the solution to a couple of problems. Excess product and hungry people. FINE: The idea that we have access to a lot of volunteers who would really like to contribute to the effort of getting food into food banks. We organize these volunteers and train them how to harvest and then they'll go out into the fields and harvest anything that is left over. The idea of gleaning is very ancient and the idea is that whatever produce is left in the field after the farmer goes through is really best given to people who are poor and in need. If you are an ag producer that would like more information or you are ready to get involved you can contact Julie Fine. FINE: The Harvest Against Hunger number is 1-800-457-4483. If someone has produce they would like to have gleaned or even produce they would just like to donate that's already harvested, they can call that number and I'll take all their information and then I go out and work with the volunteer coordinator to see who we can recruit in a certain area to do the gleaning project. That's today's Line On Agriculture. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.