Volunteer Gleaners Needed to Help Harvest and Share Sooke’s Fruit

Apples, pears, plums and other fruit are ripening across the Sooke region, and Sooke Region Food CHI is looking for volunteer gleaners to help make sure good local food does not go to waste. 

Through Food CHI’s Fruit Tree Gleaning Program, volunteers help harvest fruit from local trees when property owners have more than they can use or need some extra hands bringing in their crop. 

“Sometimes one mature fruit tree can produce far more than a household can possibly use,” said Ellen Lewers, President of Sooke Region Food CHI Society. “Gleaning turns that abundance into something we can share. A few volunteers, a couple of hours and a tree ready for picking can mean fresh local fruit for families and community food programs, while also helping a neighbour care for their property.”  

How does gleaning work? 

When a fruit tree owner has fruit available for harvest, Food CHI helps connect the opportunity with volunteers. A gleaning team then visits the property at an agreed-upon time to pick ripe fruit. 

The harvest can be shared among the property owner and volunteers, with surplus fruit directed to local food programs and community members who can make use of it. 

This year, the program is anticipated to glean more than 5,000 pounds of fruit that might otherwise go unused - sharing the harvest among tree owners, volunteers, the food bank, meal programs and families in need. 

Gleaning also helps reduce food waste and encourages fruit to be picked promptly rather than left on trees or the ground, where it can become a wildlife attractant. 

Volunteer gleaners needed 

Volunteers do not need to be experienced fruit pickers. Gleaning is a hands-on way to spend time outdoors, meet neighbours and contribute directly to local food security. 

Whether you can join one harvest or several throughout the season, every set of helping hands makes a difference. 

Residents with fruit trees they cannot fully harvest are also encouraged to connect with Food CHI to explore whether their fruit can become part of the program. 

Interested in volunteering or offering fruit for gleaning? 
Visit sookefoodchi.ca and select Get Involved, or contact Sooke Region Food CHI at info@sookefoodchi.ca. 

“Food grown here is valuable,” Lewers added. “Rather than seeing fruit fall to the ground, we have an opportunity to pick it, share it and strengthen the connections between neighbours at the same time. That is what local food security looks like in action.”  

About Sooke Region Food CHI 

Sooke Region Food CHI is a volunteer-driven non-profit society working to build a vibrant, sustainable and resilient local food system. Its work includes community food production, food recovery, education and events that support local growers, residents and greater food security throughout the Sooke region.