Waste not, want not

The FOOD Share program was started about 20-some odd years ago for the purpose of feeding the hungry in Ventura County from the surplus food in the fields and orchards in the area. Up until this past year, the FOOD Share coordinator would go out to the local ranchers and growers to find out what vegetables or fruit was available for the gleaners to pick for the needy in Ventura County.

Over the years, the number of personnel running the FOOD Share program has grown, and it is now attempting to function without the gleaner program since the management of FOOD Share does not feel it is essential to contact the local growers and ranchers to check on available produce to glean.

This new program of not contacting the growers was started in February 2006. Since then, the gleaning program has dropped from gleaning five days a week to maybe one day a week. This should make it obvious to the management that this new set up is not working. Management wants the growers and ranchers to contact FOOD Share when they have produce ready for gleaning; however, they are too busy operating a very difficult and competitive business.

There are approximately 50 gleaners ready and willing to go out every day, gleaning as they have in the past. They are all becoming discouraged and disappointed to see the gleaner program being dissolved by the FOOD Share management. Unless we have the FOOD Share coordinator return to the past practice of contacting the growers and ranchers, the gleaning program is dead. Don Vanasee Camarillo