Fruit Tree Gleaning
How does it work?
Info And How To Get Involved
A volunteer powered program that works to reduce waste, provide more fresh food to those in need, and build community.
This program was the OG program of Kitsap Harvest and is a response to the dramatic increase in the number of people seeking food assistance in our county.
Our Glean Teams harvest from both farms and backyard fruit trees, then share the bounty with local senior housing, youth programs, shelters, food banks, and families in need. Volunteers also take a portion home as a thank you for all their hard work!
Each year is different, depending on pollination and weather. 2022 was a bad year for fruit production, but we still ended up gleaning 1,000 lbs of fruit!
How much can we glean this year? Will you join us to meet our goal of 20,000 lbs? Register your tree so we can glean your fruit, or join our gleaning volunteers as we pick trees all over Kitsap!
Find Out More
For previously gleaned sites:
If you have already registered your trees, then please do not fill one out again. We already have your info in our database! If your would like to notify us that you would like your fruit trees gleaned again this year, please request a harvest by filling out our form: Request a Harvest Form
For new sites:
Please fill out our form in order to register your tree(s): Register Your Tree Form. Below you will find information about our gleaning process and what you can expect as a homeowner.
6 Steps to a Successful Fruit Glean
Step 1: Homeowners fill out our form in order to register their tree. Sites that have been gleaned in the past will be contacted about a month before the previous glean date in order to check if the homeowner would like the fruit gleaned again, and if so, how the fruit is developing and to get an estimate on when it may be ripe.
At any time a homeowner may fill out the Request A Harvest Form in order to help us be the most successful by letting us know in advance when their fruit will be ripe, instead of contacting us when the fruit is falling from the tree. This helps us in planning and prevents fruit from being lost if it matures much earlier or later than previous years. The more time we have to plan, the more fruit we can pick!
Step 2: After either form is submitted, a volunteer will be assigned to the site. They will reach out via the homeowner’s preferred method of contact in a timely manner.
Step 3: For new sites, a site check will be necessary in order for the volunteer to assess the fruit and the surrounding area in order to prepare for the glean. If the homeowner has indicated on the form that no supervision is needed for a site check, volunteers may perform an impromptu site check when they are already in the area. Volunteers are trained and will always let the homeowner know when the site check will occur.
If the homeowner has indicated that supervision is needed for a site check, then the volunteer will arrange a time with them to meet at the site.
For previously gleaned sites, a site check may or may not be necessary.
Step 4: After the site check, a volunteer will contact the homeowner about setting up a harvest date. Depending on the particular situation such as location, condition of fruit, amount to be harvested, and other factors, we will determine if we can fit the glean in on our calendar.
Please note that for larger gleans (over 200 lbs of fruit), we typically need one to two weeks planning time. If it is a small glean then we may be able to work more nimbly and plan it within a week.
Step 5: There are four fruit gleaning scenarios that are chosen depending on the homeowner’s preference and the quantity of fruit on the trees. Due to limited resources, we encourage all homeowners to consider personally hosting volunteers or self-harvesting if possible.
Group Glean– With a date and time confirmed with the homeowner, we set up a coordinated glean at the site with a group of volunteers (5-20). A lead volunteer will host the volunteers, ensuring that they follow the orders of operation, have a good experience, and follow food safety guidelines. They will also ensure that the fruit makes it back to the warehouse and everything is documented along the way.
Nimble Glean– If the harvest is under 200lbs, we will reach out to an Experienced Gleaner (1-2 people) to arrange a time with the homeowner to come by and do the harvest.
Homeowner Hosts– We ask the homeowner to host the glean themselves, working with volunteers coordinated by Kitsap Harvest. We can provide all the equipment, such as picking sticks, crates, and hand sanitizer. The fruit can either be dropped off by the homeowner at our warehouse in Bremerton, or dropped off by a volunteer.
Self Harvest– We ask the homeowner to self harvest, picking the fruit themselves or with the help of friends. We can provide all the equipment, such as picking sticks, crates, and hand sanitizer. The fruit can either be dropped off by the homeowner at our warehouse in Bremerton, or dropped off by a volunteer.
Step 6: The fruit is picked and delivered to the warehouse, where it will be sorted into three tiers: fruit that is table-ready, fruit that is good for processing only, and fruit that is good for non-human animal consumption only. Either way, the fruit is going to good use to feed those in our community or our community’s livestock!
You are interested in gleaning, but now what? Folks who volunteer to glean with Kitsap Harvest get exercise, fresh air, lots of fruit to take home, and to meet a like-minded community of people who love fruit and love serving others!
Find out all the information you need by accessing the Fruit Tree Gleaning Handbook. Here you will find everything you need to know about various volunteer roles, how to get involved, what training might be required, frequently asked questions and more!
Remember you need to register as a volunteer and then head over to the Point App to view upcoming gleaning events and sign up.
Please email gleaning@kitsapharvest.org with any questions.
Volunteer Roles
Site Checker
General Gleaner
Glean Planner
Glean Lead
Experienced Gleaner
Equipment Wrangler
Frequently Asked Questions
Not yet. You have completed the first step of giving us your contact information and indicating that you agree with the Terms of Participation. Now you need to visit the Point App and create an account before you can register for our events. The Kitsap Harvest Point page can be found here. Here you will find all of the volunteer events, including gleans, that are currently scheduled. Sign up for the harvests that you would like to attend. If there are no harvests listed, then we do not have any planned. Check back frequently for new postings.
In order to be a general gleaner we do not require any training beforehand. All the information you need to know will be given to you at the glean.
However, if you would like to be able to use a ladder on a glean, we do require volunteers to complete our Ladder Safety Training.
To be a Glean Lead, Glean Planner, Experienced Gleaner, or Equipment Wrangler, we do require extra training. Email info@kitsapharvest.org for more information.
After you sign up for a harvest on the Point App, your name is added to the harvest roster. If you do not see an address yet on the event’s page, then keep an eye on your email as you will be sent the starting address a few days before the glean.
Yes! We love gleaning with all ages! We do ask that all children are supervised closely by their parent or guardian at all times during the glean.
All Kitsap Harvest volunteers may sign up for any harvests that are posted. Just please be sure that you will be able to attend if it is a considerable distance away.
Sometimes. Our harvests take place at a wide variety of properties, from 20-acre orchards to urban backyards. We ask the property owner whether or not their crop has been sprayed with non-organic chemicals, and we include that information on the harvest posting.
The email that you receive after signing up for the harvest has a link in it to use if you need to cancel. Canceling gives someone else a chance to attend the harvest. This also applies to the waiting list – cancel that spot if you find out that you would not be able to participate if you were promoted to the roster.
Yes! Just be sure that they have completed the Volunteer Registration Form and have signed up for the harvest along with you. We need to keep track of how many people are coming to each harvest, so we don’t have too many or too few volunteers.
Many registered volunteers are checking the Point App. This is the only place that we announce harvests that are available for signing up unless there is reason to think that we will not get enough volunteers in time. Those who do this are usually able to get on the roster. Some find it helpful to download the Point App on their phones and set their notifications on so they know about any new opportunity once it is posted.
Kitsap Harvest relies on donations from growers. After a crop is donated, our coordinators factor Kitsap Harvest’s ability to staff harvests, parking, and the requests of the landowner to determine how and when harvests will be hosted.
It depends on the gleaning event; cluster gleans on Saturdays will be about 3 hours, but nimble gleans may be as short as 20 minutes. Be sure to communicate with your gleaning leader or program coordinator on how long they expect a specific gleaning event should take.
We ask that volunteers do not bring their furry companions along to gleans. We are often gleaning in residential backyards and need to respect the property of the homeowner. We also can’t have dogs on site due to health safety reasons.
One of our goals is to reduce food waste so any fruit or produce that’s not categorized as “table ready” is turned into compost for gardeners and farmers or used as food for livestock animals.
