Gleaning & donate produce

Volunteer with groups that save surplus farm produce, or give extra vegetables and fruit from your garden to a local food pantry. Sorted by county.

Call ahead before you go or drop off produce: hours and what each place can take change often.

Farm to Table Growers doesn’t run any of these groups or pantries. Each listing links to its source. No listings yet for Barry, Berrien, St. Joseph or Van Buren counties.

Glean for free

Gleaning groups collect or process surplus produce that farms donate, so it feeds people instead of going to waste. Sign up with the group before you show up.

Kalamazoo County 1

Gleaning

Kalamazoo Valley Gleaners

5541 King Hwy, Kalamazoo, MI 49048

269-400-1822

Volunteer shifts 8:30-11:00 a.m. (per official volunteer page)

Gleaning food ministry. Local farmers donate surplus produce; volunteers wash, trim, chop, dehydrate and package it, and partner relief organizations distribute the food overseas.

How to volunteer: Sign up for a volunteer shift through the SignUp Genius page linked on the Volunteer page (wash, trim, chopper, traying, packaging, hospitality). No walk-in volunteers. Groups (school, workplace, community) can schedule a visit; workplace groups are asked to reach out at least two weeks ahead. Questions: info@kalamazoogleaners.org.

Source (opens new tab)

Call Website for Kalamazoo Valley Gleaners

Regional (West Michigan) 1

Gleaning

Feeding America West Michigan - farm gleaning

3070 Shaffer Ave SE, Kentwood, MI 49512

616-784-3250

Regional food bank. Occasionally rescues food from local farms; in summer and fall volunteers glean surplus fruits and vegetables (e.g. tomatoes, cherries, apples) for the food bank.

How to volunteer: Register as a volunteer to receive announcements of farm/community event opportunities. Questions: Volunteer@FeedWM.org.

Farm locations are not named; events may be outside the 9 counties.

Source 1 (opens new tab) Source 2 (opens new tab)

Call Website for Feeding America West Michigan - farm gleaning

Donate extra garden produce

These food banks and pantries take fresh produce from home gardens, per their own sites or their AmpleHarvest.org listings. Drop off only at the times listed, and call first.

Allegan County 3

Takes garden produce

Project Hope

1808 143rd Avenue, Dorr, MI 49323

616-681-4673

Mon-Thu 9 a.m.-4 p.m.; Fri 9 a.m.-1 p.m. (per AmpleHarvest listing)

Food pantry listed on AmpleHarvest.org as accepting garden produce.

How to drop off: Drop off during listed open times; call pantry manager with questions.

Source (opens new tab)

Call

Takes garden produce

Christian Neighbors Inc. Douglas

163 St. Peter Dr., Douglas, MI 49406

269-857-1050

Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri from 9:30 to 12:00 (per AmpleHarvest listing)

Food pantry listed on AmpleHarvest.org as accepting garden produce.

How to drop off: Listing: "Arrangements can be made to accept donations earlier in the day. Please call to make these arrangements."

Source (opens new tab)

Call

Takes garden produce

Hopkins Food Pantry

322 Maple St, Hopkins, MI 49328

269-793-7323

Wed 10 a.m.-1 p.m.; Thu 5-7 p.m. (per AmpleHarvest listing)

Food pantry listed on AmpleHarvest.org as accepting garden produce.

How to drop off: Drop off during listed open times; call pantry manager with questions.

Source (opens new tab)

Call

Branch County 1

Takes garden produce

Branch Area Food Pantry

22 Pierson St, Coldwater, MI 49036

517-279-0966

Produce drop-off Mon 10 a.m.-12 p.m.; Tue 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m.

All-volunteer food pantry; food sources include garden surpluses and farmers' fields.

How to drop off: Produce and packaged foods can be dropped off at the pantry during the listed times.

Source (opens new tab)

Call Website for Branch Area Food Pantry

Calhoun County 1

Takes garden produce

Community Table of Albion

705 E Michigan Ave, Albion, MI

517-629-5080

Walk-in pantry 1st & 3rd Fri 1-3 p.m.; drive-through 2nd, 3rd & 4th Tue 3-5 p.m. (per AmpleHarvest listing)

Free drive-through and walk-in food distributions run by Albion Health Care Alliance; listed on AmpleHarvest.org as accepting garden produce.

How to drop off: Drop off on a program day, or email (address on the AmpleHarvest listing) to schedule a drop-off outside program days. Walk-in pantry uses the north-side basement entrance.

Source (opens new tab)

Call Website for Community Table of Albion

Cass County 1

Takes garden produce

Marcellus Community Food Pantry

175 S. Centre St., Marcellus, MI 49067

269-268-0025

Pantry open Wed 9 a.m.-noon and 6-8 p.m. (per AmpleHarvest listing)

Community food pantry listed on AmpleHarvest.org as accepting garden produce.

How to drop off: Listing: "Fresh produce should be there Tues Eve or Wed before 9AM." For drop-off, "Contact Gloria who will set up a convenient time."

Source (opens new tab)

Call

Kalamazoo County 1

Takes garden produce

Kalamazoo Loaves & Fishes

901 Portage St, Kalamazoo, MI 49001

269-488-2617

Donations accepted Mon-Fri 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

Food bank serving Kalamazoo County pantries. Accepts fresh produce from home gardens, grocery stores, markets and farms (Plant-A-Row).

How to drop off: Drop off at 901 Portage St; follow the pink signs to the food donation doors off Jackson Street (north side of building) and ring the doorbell. "Please call our warehouse ahead of time to schedule a delivery or pick-up as these are time-sensitive food items." Bring perishables earlier in the week if possible. Cannot accept farm fresh eggs. Large harvests: pickup may be arranged (contact warehouse).

Source 1 (opens new tab) Source 2 (opens new tab) Source 3 (opens new tab)

Call Website for Kalamazoo Loaves & Fishes

Need food? See Food help for pantries and markets that take SNAP/EBT. Growing your own? See Start a garden. Know a gleaning group or a pantry that takes garden produce? Let us know.