Pennsylvania Volunteers Rescue 515K Pounds of Food Yearly

When ripe fruit hangs heavy on orchard trees but can't make it to market, volunteers step in to make sure it feeds families instead of falling to the ground.

The Gleaning Project is recruiting volunteers for a sour cherry harvest this Thursday, June 25, from 3 to 5 p.m. at Peters Orchards in Gardners, Pennsylvania. The two-hour event gives community members a chance to save perfectly good fruit that growers can't harvest themselves.

Volunteers should arrive 15 minutes early at the orchard on 10540 Carlisle Pike. Those interested can reserve a spot by emailing thegleaningproject@gmail.com.

Gleaning is an ancient practice where volunteers pick crops that farmers leave behind after commercial harvesting. Sometimes the fruit is oddly shaped, too ripe, or simply more than the farm can process. Rather than letting it waste, gleaning projects coordinate volunteers to harvest and distribute the food to people who need it.

The program operates entirely free of charge. Every cherry picked during Thursday's event will go directly to families in Adams and Franklin counties at no cost.

The Ripple Effect

Last year alone, The Gleaning Project distributed 515,000 pounds of food that would have otherwise rotted. That's roughly a quarter million meals rescued from waste and delivered to neighbors facing food insecurity.

The impact extends beyond full bellies. Orchards benefit from volunteers who clear unharvested fruit, reducing pest problems and disease. Volunteers gain fresh air, community connection, and the satisfaction of hands-on service. And families get fresh, nutritious produce they might not otherwise afford.

The model turns agricultural surplus into community abundance. What growers see as excess becomes what families see as essential.

Two hours of picking cherries this Thursday could mean fresh pies, jams, and summer treats for dozens of Pennsylvania families.