The Buzz
ON THE BAY
By Hugh Minor
From Farms to Tables
Hope’s Harvest founder and executive director Eva Agudelo prepares volunteers for their work in the fields
The ancient term “gleaning” is as relevant as ever. The word refers to collecting unharvested produce from farmers’ fields and distributing it to people in need. There are over 250 gleaning projects in the US and Hope’s Harvest RI is the state’s first. Gleaning is a winwin for both farmers and neighbors in need of food assistance. The process involves picking produce that was either missed by farm workers or which may not be suitable
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The Bay • October 2021
for selling in the market and distributing it for free instead of letting it go to waste. Eva Agudelo, Hope’s Harvest founder and executive director explains, “We harvest fresh produce at about 37 farms of all shapes and sizes in Rhode Island and over the border in Massachusetts. We then distribute this food through our partners like the Rhode Island Community Food Bank and Farm Fresh RI. We’re all working
together, using the resources that we have to make the most impact.” And their work has made a huge difference since they first began in 2018 with nearly 400,000 pounds of food recovered and distributed to hunger relief organizations throughout the area. With a corps of volunteers, Hope’s Harvest RI collects surplus food from participating farms throughout the state. The nonprofit
Photos courtesy of the RI Community Food Bank
Hope’s Harvest RI and their partners work together to reduce food waste while distributing fresh produce to those affected by food insecurity
