Gleaning........ We shall go rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves!

New experiences are sometimes a pain, but sometimes you have new experience and wonder why you have never done it before.  This was a good one and why have I never done this before?  I was in the staff room at work, contemplating the grey day and my grey life (ok - never spoil a good story with the absolute truth, it's not that bad, but you know, just sometimes it would be good to have a surprise). I was looking at my emails and saw one from Martin at http://feedbackglobal.org/ (click on it) saying:

**We're urgently looking for drivers for tomorrow's glean, and you mentioned on the gleaning list that you've got a car and would be interested in driving volunteers for future gleans. You'd be an absolute food waste hero/life saver for us, so we'd lavish you in praise, publicity and free reclaimed veg.**

I read it, thought that sounds fun, then thought - sod it, I'm emailing back and saying I can do it.   I had signed up to the Gleaning Network in the summer.

It was a a very damp day.  Mizzle, I would describe it.  More volunteers met us there and we cut down brussels, cut off cabbages, pulled up kohlrabi and stripped kale stalks.  We met new friends and were interviewed by the BBC and the Independent on Sunday.  (Karen Atwood was the journalist).  If you want to know the reasons that all this food is going to waste, Karen will be telling you Sunday I think.  But meanwhile look at http://feedbackglobal.org/ and find out why this charity was started in 2009. The food we gleaned was picked up by The Ferry Project, which helps homeless people in Wisbech.

I might mention that 3 hours in the car with Martin from Feedback and Jay, a volunteer, both of whom I had never met before, was entertaining, informative and I will definitely go gleaning again.
I felt cheered, much more healthy and an all round better person when I got home!

All you need to know is that an estimated 20-40% of fruit and veg are rejected before they reach the shops because they do not meet the supermarkets strict cosmetic standards! What a world we live in. And there was me thinking that strict cosmetic standards only applied to women.... but thats for another day.

Here are a few photos......
And thanks to the lovely farmer who let us have the vegetables of course.




 
Martin contemplates kohl rabi