The concept of “farm to table” has taken on a whole new meaning with Ozark’s Food Harvest’s new “Glean Team” volunteer program. The Glean Team was started in the summer of 2014 by OFH in a partnership with Harvest on Wheels, Springfield Urban Agriculture Coalition and Springfield Community Gardens, as a way to salvage produce from farms that would otherwise go to waste.

Since June, volunteers have harvested over 13,000 pounds of produce! There are several community gardens and farms that are donating their crops including Glendale High School, Stanley Gardens and Fassnight Creek Farms, to name a few. Some of the fresh produce volunteers have harvested has included green beans, melon, potatoes, squash and lettuce. Recently, as a MSU Dietetic Intern, I had the opportunity to volunteer with OFH’s Glean Team as a part of my community rotation experience. We harvested 71 pounds of green beans from Stanley Gardens, which were distributed to food pantries, making their way to the plates of families in need by the end of the day.

Ozarks Food Harvest serves 200 food pantries in over 28 counties in Missouri. This food bank provides a whopping 12.5 million meals a year to over 170,000 individuals in the Ozarks. The Glean Team is a great way to help increase availability of fresh produce to families who are struggling with food security. If you are interested in volunteering with OFH’s Glean Team, visit ozarksfoodharvest.org/volunteer for more information.

Blog post by Lindsay Sparks, MSU Dietetic Intern