Harvest kick-off for gleaning program is Sunday in Carnation

Warm, sunny days in the Valley signal the start of the growing season for local farms, and Sno-Valley Harvest is looking for volunteers to help harvest surplus fruits and vegetables and get them into food banks between now and the fall. Sno-Valley Harvest is a collaborative project of Hopelink, Rotary First Harvest and AmeriCorps VISTA that is working to increase fresh food in local food banks by collecting produce from area farms that may otherwise go to waste.

May 16, 2013 11:59 am
Sno-Valley Harvest volunteer Nancy Wen collects kale rapini
Sno-Valley Harvest volunteer Nancy Wen collects kale rapini

Warm, sunny days in the Valley signal the start of the growing season for local farms, and Sno-Valley Harvest is looking for volunteers to help harvest surplus fruits and vegetables and get them into food banks between now and the fall.

Sno-Valley Harvest is a collaborative project of Hopelink, Rotary First Harvest and AmeriCorps VISTA that is working to increase fresh food in local food banks by collecting produce from area farms that may otherwise go to waste.

The organization is hosting a kick-off party on Sunday, May 19, so people can learn more about the program and how they can get involved. The open house will run from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Tolt Commons Community Shelter on Tolt Ave. and Bird St. and will include live music and snacks.

The gleaning program began in November, 2011, and is a relatively new tool to help stock food bank shelves. The program — based at the Hopelink Sno-Valley Center in Carnation — connects farms, food banks and volunteers to gather fresh produce for hungry local families. To learn more about Sno-Valley Harvest or the upcoming event, visit snovalleyharvest on Facebook or call Jody Miesel at (206) 579-6886.