Interesting question!  I never even thought about doing something like that, but it would sure benefit my goats and chickens.  I do ask a lot of people what they do with their "scraps", but never thought to ask if I could clean (glean) their field(s).  I hope someone here has experience!

We did this as kids several times in South Texas. After the farmers harvested, we would ride our dirt bikes to a nearby field with paper sacks and gather the produce that was literally at the corners of the field which the machinery missed as well as where it had been loaded into the trucks and spilled over. My memory is a bit vague, but we I remember carrots, cucumbers, and corn specifically, and I remember my mom and aunt making pickles with most of the cucumbers. As far as asking permission, the kids didn't do this, but I suspect that my aunt or uncle knew the farmers because he was the only vet in a small town and they knew everyone.

I believe the sod farms out west of town allow people to purchase the edges for almost nothing, but I haven't heard anything about that in years, so I don't know if they still do. But your question has me thinking about the potential of this for the poor in the community. Wouldn't it be great if CalOrganics allowed representatives from the Salvation Army to glean OR if they would contact the SA when their clients could come glean? What do you think?

Amy- that would certainly be very biblical.  I've heard that a farmers market near here donates any unsold produce to shelters.  A good idea I think.

We have an organically managed farm and we allow a charity to glean. I know that other farms sometimes consider people picking leftovers in exchange for helping to pick for the farmer. We're not talking a half an hour of work to go home with a large amount of produce, but a decent amount of picking. It's often hard to teach someone what to do and folks who aren't familiar with garden work can mess up plants.

The best way to find this arrangement might be to visit a farmers' market and ask farmers there if they would be interested in something like that. It really depends on the owner. If they say yes, be reliable about showing up and putting in your time of work.They probably won't want to  teach you anything if you're just going to show up once. If they say no, realize that they might have had a bad experience(ie- careless picking that ruins plants or someone with unsupervised children) previously and they are just trying to make a living.

We live on 140 acres right across from a huge farm field....sometimes they grow corn, grains, and last year they grew chili peppers.  After they had finished harvesting the chilis, we found that there were thousands of extra chilis that had been dropped from the machines and were just going to rot on the ground.  We didn't specifically ask anyone because it was obvious they didn't want the dropped chilis - we gleaned quite a few!!  So now we have enough chili peppers to last us a long long time.  :-) 

Also,  we live by a you-pick-it farm wherek they grow many different things.  One year they grew pumpkins and no one was buying them.  Their field was huge and literally orange with all the pumpkins!   They sat there week after week and we finally realized they were just going to rot.  We asked the owners if we could have some, since they were just going to till them up.  They agreed!  We pureed them and froze them in bags and love it.

Just my two cents!

Blessings,

Rachel

www.canningbasics.com

We are friends with a potato farmer who lets us pick up the leftovers. We have to get in there quick or the potatoes will turn green in the sun. We have even used the green ones for seed potatoes but not for eating.

We live in an area with lots of apple and pear,and crabapple  trees in people's front yards. Many times those trees where planted by a previous homeowner years before and the fruit is left to fall on the  ground and rot by the current homeowners. I just make note of where the trees are when I am out on errands during the spring and summer. Then towards the end of summer beginning of autumn when it is harvest time I wait to see if indeed the fruit is being left to fall to the ground.

If It is, I just pull up to the house and knock on the door. I ask if they are planning on using the fruit, and if not would they mind If I bring my children with me to harvest it. I have never been told no!

Usually I hear things like "You mean you actually will eat that? But it might have bugs! We didn't spray any pesticides  or anything else on the tree!" (Oh no what will I ever do... ORGANICALLY GROWN FRUIT!!!)  Then they usually thank ME for helping keep their lawns cleaner! I have harvested hundreds of pounds of fruit over they past few years,for free! Usually I try to drop off a jar of homemade apple butter,jam preserves etc. made from their fruit as a thank you.

Thank you, Amy for such a wonderful blog.  I don't have a blog nor have I written any books.....just learning how to provide for my family of seven.

I've gleaned fields the last two summers and it was a wonderful blessing.  We have a gleaners coop in our town and they set-up the place and time with the farmers.  They weigh all the food that is picked so the farmer can get a tax credit for donations.  Last year I got about 10- 20lb. boxes of apples.  I had so many apples I was giving them away.  They do charge a monthly fee of $5.00 and then the coop decide how the money is spent. 

I would ask around about any existing coops or start your own.    

From another view point--my dad always plants a huge garden, and he honestly would have been grateful if someone had asked to glean.  He has had to till under still-bearing plants because the family had picked, eaten and frozen/preserved all they had room for or would use, and he couldn't find anyone willing to come pick, even for free food.

Rachel, that's awesome! And the thank you gift makes them even more willing in the future, I'm sure. Everyone likes to be thanked.

Charlene - That's so sad to hear. Wish more people would realize what an opportunity it is to be able to glean a field.

Lanette - thank you! So glad to have you in the discussion and here at the forum!