Waste not, want not
What, exactly, is a Gleaner?
We have one mission: To reclaim and use food that would otherwise go to waste.
We seek to reduce the amount of edible food that is wasted in Whatcom County. With the cooperation of grocery stores, restaurants and farms, we collect food that they no longer wish to sell for various reasons: A recent expiration date, surplus stock, or damaged produce. Typical donations include slightly dented canned goods, lightly bruised fruit, and day old bread.
Who we are
Gleaners are everyday people, food preservers, and recyclers. We come from all walks of life. Some of us are working, some are retired or unemployed. We have large and small families. Each member of the Gleaners Pantry Co-op is working towards the same goal. To reduce the amount of edible food that is wasted in Whatcom County. We are all striving to share with each other our knowledge of preservation techniques, budgeting ideas, gardening, recycling, dehydrating, composting, and how to utilize these techniques as an alternative to other more conventional means.
Gleaners Pantry also has a growing lending bank full of items for our members to use: Water bath canners, dehydrators, meat & vegetable grinders, tortilla presses, and canning books/guides are just a few of the items available.
Join us!
Ready to become a gleaner? It’s not for everyone: Reclaiming food that’s about to be thrown away can be hard, messy work. But it’s rewarding and you’ll learn about new foods, find out about to preserve and prepare foods in ways you never thought about, and you’ll meet people from all walks of life who also believe in reducing food waste.