Lincoln County Gleaners, just completing their third season, kicked off 2020 at Goranson’s Farm in Dresden Jan. 11 when they collected several boxes of root vegetables from cold storage.

Sally Ingraham, who coordinates the program through Healthy Lincoln County, said the gleaners “rescued” over 7,400 pounds of food during the 2019 growing season. The food is distributed through food pantries, backpack and Head Start programs, housing authorities, health clinics, libraries and other organizations and some stores. When not collecting farms’ food that might otherwise be tilled under or thrown into landfills or compost, the gleaners occasionally help with chores.

Among the farms the gleaners worked with in 2019 were Brown’s Farm in Nobleboro, Veggies to Table in Newcastle, and Goranson’s. Several gardeners and home orchardists have donated produce from their gardens. This year, for the first time, gleaners helped process and can pumpkins for year-round distribution.

Right now, Ingraham said there are several dozen gleaners in Lincoln County, but more volunteers are always welcome, no experience necessary. For information, email lcgleanersme@gmail.com or call Ingraham at 563-1330. Connie Gatz led the team of gleaners Jan. 11. They weighed the produce carefully before packing it in cars. “We are very grateful to the farms for donating the produce,” she said. “It can mean the difference between some families having fresh produce in their diets or not.”

Also there were representatives of Merrymeeting Gleaners, who work with farms in Woolwich and other sites in Sagadahoc County.