Fruit Share

The "Gleaners Video"

Got Fruit?

Do you have lemon, orange, avocado or other fruit trees? Don't let the extra fruit go to waste. Donate it to FOOD Share--we'll even help pick it for you-- to help the children, seniors and families of Ventura County who desperately need healthy food. Join the hundreds of people who donated over 2,000 lbs of fruit on September 24's Fruit Share launch.

When Bonnie Weigel, FOOD Share CEO, visits Ventura County neighborhoods and sees ripe lemons, avocados or peaches that have fallen to the ground and are rotting, she cringes. Weigel knows that rather than go to waste, each piece of fruit has the ability to feed a hungry person in our community. Fruit Share is FOOD Share's program for harvesting the farms and backyards of Ventura County was one of the first activities in launching FOOD Share as Ventura County’s only regional food bank in 1978.

With a team of volunteer "gleaners", our beloved "glean team", FOOD Share gathers nutritional fruits and vegetables on participating farms as well as individual backyards that would otherwise go to waste. Other groups, such as the Ventura County Young Farmers and Ranchers, are also key in harvesting produce for us. FOOD Share collects an average of 50,000 and 60,000 pounds of produce each month which is brought to our warehouse and then distributed via our agency partnership model to the hungry of Ventura County. These backyard and farm donations have proven to be a main source of produce for FOOD Share.

Typical items gleaned are broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, grapefruit, green onions, lemons, lettuce, oranges, radishes and possible seasonal produce such as: avocados, bell peppers, chilies, corn, cucumbers, green onions, kiwis, pumpkins, squash, strawberries, tomatoes, and walnuts.

What you can do 

Do you have fruit trees or gardens that produce more than you can eat? Consider donating the extra fruit and vegetables to FOOD Share.

We will even send a team of volunteers to collect it! Contact Meg Horton for more information.

Interested in volunteering and joining our Gleaning Team?
Individuals and groups meet at various locations throughout the western portion of the county each weekday & weekend mornings starting about 8:00 a.m. This is the perfect opportunity for corporate engagement, church groups, and other organizations. For more information, contact Meg Horton, Volunteer Coordinator, 805/983-7100 ext. l05

Special thanks to the following companies who let the FOOD Share Gleaning Volunteers gleaned crops from their fields: Del Monte, Boskovich Farms,Chiquita Fresh, Driscolls, Calavo Growers, Purepak, Inc., Beylik Farms,Duda Farm Fresh Foods,San Miguel Produce, Leavens Ranches, Fresh Inovations,Seaboard Produce,Jimenez Farms,Angelou Farms, Western Onion Sales, Juarez Produce, Friends Ranch, Dudley Ranch,McGrath Family Farms,Hobson Ranch

For more information on volunteering or participating in our gleaning program, contact:

Meg Horton
Volunteer Coordinator

805-983-7100 ext. 105

Take a look at our October Garden Share Newsletter!