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Fulton Street Farmer's Market collects more than 1,000 pounds of food per week for those in need

It's called gleaning, which is recovering food that didn't sell to prevent waste and help others.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — While summer may be wrapping up soon, there's still eight more weeks left of the regular season at Fulton Street Farmer's Market.

This 100th season of the market has been looking a little different after the market closes every week. It has taken over the gleaning initiative. 

"In essence, what we're doing is just recovering food from the vendors here at the end of every Saturday market," says Daniel Faulkner, the Food Access Coordinator.

Gleaning is collecting food that hasn't sold and getting it to those in need.

"Then we're taking it out to the church (at) LaGrave and Cherry (street), and setting up our own little street market there where anybody can come, free of need to provide any proof," he says. "Anyone and everyone can come and grab food."

Faulkner says about 50 people come by the church after the farmer's market ends every week.

"Last week, we had a record with 68 people," he says.

As for how much food they glean, it depends on what's in season.

"Last week, we gleaned over 2,000 pounds of food. We'd hit the 2,000 pound mark one other time this season, but on average, we're about 1,500 pounds of food that we glean or recover every week," Faulkner says.

Another non-profit organization used to do it for almost ten years at the market. Faulkner says it made sense for the market to take it over, given their close relationship with the vendors. 

"t's been kind of a seamless transition," he says.

The program not only has a community impact, but an environmental one too.

"What we're doing is not only getting food into people's mouths and into people's hands, we're also taking that food and making sure that it doesn't go into a landfill," Faulkner says.

There's still two months left of the regular season at Fulton Street Farmer's Market, and they're always looking for volunteers to help with their gleaning initiative and more. Applications are available on their website.

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