Washington Gleaning Network

Gleaning is the act of collecting leftover crops in the field after harvest. During harvest, some food may be left or missed because it does not meet store standards for uniformity or because harvesting a certain field was not economically profitable. The Washington Gleaning Network (WGN) works to support gleaning programs across the state, leading to reduced waste and food insecurity and getting excess produce into the hands of those who need it most.

Capstone Team 1 partnered with WGN to create a digital resource hub called Glean Together. The hub addresses the need for a centralized tool where gleaning groups can share resources, reduce food waste, and improve food access. The team gathered and categorized materials from different organizations and built an easy-to-use website that will continue to help new and existing gleaning groups learn and grow.

Team 2 worked with WGN to create a centralized website with operational documents gathered from more-developed Washington state gleaning groups to support the efficacy of smaller operations. The team organized the procured documentation into Google Drive folders, embedded links to those folders on the website for immediate access, and included a submission form link for future updates. Team deliverables strengthen operational capacity for gleaning groups across the state, promote knowledge sharing, and support long-term equity in Washington’s food system.

Community Partner: Sarah Armbruster, Harvest Against Hunger

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Project Type(s): Undergraduate Capstone

Author(s): Team 1: Karina Cruz, Shuyu Huang, Serena Jiang, Deiah Marie Moody, Meiting Zhao // Team 2: Yun Jae Chong, Wei Guo, Vivian Ha Tran, James Triol, Yifei Wang

Program(s): Food Systems Major

Year: 2024

Adviser(s):

• Yona Sipos