Rotary First Harvest | Harvest Against Hunger
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Harvest Against Hunger

Rotary First Harvest’s Harvest Against Hunger acts as a program incubator and catalyst, utilizing a team of AmeriCorps VISTA to work with farmers to build sustainable gleaning and produce recovery programs that have minimal impact on their business model. This includes coordinating volunteer groups to glean and harvest produce, addressing issues and challenges related to supply chain management – like the transportation and distribution of gleaned produce. All gleaned produce, which is nutritionally dense and locally grown, is distributed to food insecure populations through our food bank partners.

Since 2009, HAH has supported the development of more than 50 unique produce recovery projects. In those eight harvest seasons, the HAH program has overseen more than 100 dedicated Harvest VISTA who have gleaned and distributed nearly five million pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables, engaged more than 1,200 new farmers in hunger relief efforts, all with the help of 20,000 volunteers. And that’s just the beginning: Harvest VISTA build programs that are sustainable and scalable. The positive impact of these programs will benefit for years to come.

Questions?  Please contact Chris LaRoche, HAH Program Director.

 

HAH Metrics

4798360

Pounds of produce gathered

23077

Volunteers engaged

 

51

Programs developed

1200

Farmers engaged in local hunger relief

 

 

Current Harvest Against Hunger Partner Sites

 

Washington State

Community Action Center – Pullman

Good Cheer Food Bank – Whidbey Island

WSU Extension – Port Angeles

Spokane Edible Tree Project

Vashon Maury Food Bank – Vashon Island

Slow Food SW WA – Vancouver

International Rescue Committee – SeaTac

O.I.C. of Washington – Yakima

Harvest Against Hunger National

Community Food Share (Colorado)

Food for Others (Virginia)

Society of St. Andrew Florida Gleaning Project

Society of St. Andrew Georgia Gleaning Project

Society of St. Andrew Mississippi Gleaning Project

 

Rotary First Harvest Resource Guide

Over nearly ten years, Harvest VISTAs have been placed at host sites across Washington and now further afield, with our national projects. They have gleaned best practices from building programs from the ground up, and these best practices on starting and sustaining produce recovery programs are compiled here, in the Rotary First Harvest Resource Guide. This includes in-depth articles and case studies specific to particular communities.