Cultivating Health and Hope

Gather is known for providing free food in its pantry and at its mobile markets. What some people may not know is that a small but important portion of that food comes from its Gardening and Gleaning program.   

“Collecting any local produce that won’t be harvested or sold is considered gleaning,” says Ally Lynch, Gather’s Gleaning and Gardening Manager. “It’s a way to combine food waste reduction and offer our members locally grown produce.” 

Gleaned food is fruits and vegetables from area gardens that are not harvested for one reason or another. It could be as simple as having an excess of something or a farmer not having time to harvest.

There are several local community gardens that glean their own excess produce. There are also farms such as Meadow’s Mirth Farm, the Kittery Land Trust, and Goss Farm that Gather relies on for fresh fruits and vegetables. The University of New Hampshire, who recently gave the food pantry 90 cases of eggplant, is also a source for locally grown food.  

“In the fall we will be gleaning apples and winter squash,” Ally says. “We hope to be harvesting and gleaning up until Thanksgiving. Then we’ll take the winter to plan demonstration gardens, reach out to local farms, and, like all farmers, review the previous season. And then we’re right back at it in March.” 

Much of the gleaned and grown food Gather collects is used in its cooking programs where homemade meals are made that are then available in the pantry’s lobby – another example of food not going to waste. Looking forward to Gather’s new home at 124 Heritage Avenue in Portsmouth, there will be a glass deli case in the lobby to better display these gorgeous meals.

Presently Ally spends most of her time gardening, visiting three gardens a day to water, weed, prune, fertilize and harvest the produce. When Gather moves to its new location later this year, the program will offer gardening demonstrations, showing people how to plant, maintain and maximize their garden beds.  

“Everything from our gardens that is brought into Gather’s food pantry is being picked within hours. It’s definitely worth the time when people can come in and get fresh locally grown food, which is the most nutritionally dense. "It allows us to feed people in a dignified way.”