The Lincoln County Gleaners are gearing up for another successful season of harvesting vegetables, rescuing surplus food, and distributing it to multiple sites and share tables. Their goal for the 2021 season is to link and leverage the collective food security efforts, and to invite home gardeners and small farms to “Grow A Row,” in order to expand the harvest in more ways than one.

“The Gleaners recognize the need for increased access to fresh local produce, and invite farmers of all abilities to join us in bringing more food to more people in Lincoln County,” said Mary Kate Reny, Lincoln County Gleaners coordinator.

The Gleaners are partnering with Lincoln County’s two grow-to-give farms, Twin Villages Food Bank Farm and Veggies to Table. If you are interested in donating any of your extra produce for summer distribution, or planting a dedicated row (or more!) to assist in the collective effort to store more veggies for winter distribution, let us know. The Gleaners can help with starts, seeds, crop suggestions, and more.

The Gleaners could not do this important work without local farmers and home gardeners who grow and donate the fresh produce, and the volunteers who help distribute it throughout our communities.

The “Grow A Row” program is part of the Gleaners larger effort to increase access to free local produce to anyone in the community. The Gleaners will post the drop-off and share table locations where produce will be available and when on their Facebook and Instagram pages, in their newsletter, and at healthylincolncounty.org

Families can pick up free food at these locations and at their convenience. For more information, call 563-1330 or email us at lcgleanersme@gmail.com