Vermont Hosted Inaugural Week of Gleaning
The Vermont Gleaning Collective organized statewide sessions to address farm produce waste and regional food insecurity.
Updated on Sept. 27, 2026 in Organic Food
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The inaugural Vermont Week of Gleaning brought volunteers to regional farms to harvest surplus produce. This initiative aimed to tackle the significant amount of food waste generated by the agricultural sector in the state.
Why it matters
Rising living costs and decreased SNAP enrollment have increased the demand for food assistance in the region. By recovering surplus crops, organizations like Willing Hands help bridge the gap between farm waste and local food insecurity.
Vermont farms generated 6,820 tons of produce waste in 2024, with 89.5% of that volume remaining unharvested. These figures highlight the significant surplus that volunteer-led recovery programs seek to rescue.
The players
Vermont Gleaning Collective
This organization coordinated the first statewide effort to mobilize volunteers for farm produce recovery.
Willing Hands
Headquartered in Norwich, this non-profit recovers surplus food for distribution to social service organizations in the Upper Valley.
Donald Trump
He is the current President of the United States who signed the One Big Beautiful Bill in July 2025.
The details
Willing Hands, a key partner in these efforts, utilizes a network of 794 volunteers and 93 food donors to collect surplus items from farms, bakeries, and wholesalers. The organization maintains refrigerated infrastructure to manage the distribution of recovered food to more than 85 social service agencies throughout the Upper Valley.
Timeline
Vermont farms generated 6,820 tons of waste in 2024.
Willing Hands recovered 1 million pounds of food in 2025.
President Donald Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill in July 2025.
The Vermont Week of Gleaning occurred from September 21 to September 25, 2026.
Culture Shift
The rise of coordinated statewide gleaning represents a shift toward localized food sustainability amidst federal policy changes like the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. This movement aligns with increasing community-led responses to regional economic shifts and food supply challenges.
Residents can participate in regional food recovery by volunteering for local gleaning sessions or donating surplus garden produce. These efforts directly support the 85 social service organizations that provide essential food assistance to neighbors facing rising costs of living.
The takeaway
Volunteering for local gleaning projects is a practical way for individuals to reduce farm waste while directly supporting their neighbors. By engaging with local recovery networks, community members can help stabilize the food supply in areas experiencing declining social service enrollment.
Further reading
Learn more about the state's agricultural sustainability efforts in our Organic Food section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Valley News.
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