About - Knox County Gleaners

History

Nancy Wood and Lorain Francis founded the KCG in 2019 to help connect local farmers with our food insecure neighbors in Knox County. Nancy is the SNAP Ed Nutrition Educator for Knox County. She teaches cooking and nutrition classes in schools, food pantries, soup kitchens, and senior residences with an emphasis on creating healthy meals on a budget. Lorain Francis is the former Program Director of AmeriCorps Seniors, a community service program for senior volunteers, administered by Penquis Community Action Agency in Knox County.

A generous grant from the The Harvard Pilgrim Foundation and Penquis allowed Nancy and Lorain to develop the infrastructure necessary for the KCG to begin its gleaning program. The KCG work with farmers, gardeners, and orchard owners who want to share their surplus bounty with their food insecure neighbors in Knox County. Our volunteers collect and clean, and then distribute surplus food to a variety of sites including food pantries, soup kitchens, libraries, senior homes, and other community hubs. Our gleaning efforts reduce food waste in farms, gardens, and orchards, and increase food security by distributing healthy, locally grown food throughout Knox County.

Volunteers

The mission of the KCG could not be achieved without the support of our volunteers. We are forever grateful to our volunteers who glean fields, clean crops, distribute food, and work behind the scenes to make the KCG a great success. We welcome individuals and groups who would like to reduce food waste and increase food security in Knox County. Click here to learn more and enroll as a volunteer.

About the Farms

Spear Spring Farm

Spear Spring Farm is a diversified, organic-practice farm growing healthy food for our community. On their historic 170 acre farm they grow vegetables intensively on about 4-5 acres and make good use of 2 large high tunnels and a year-round propagation house. Located at 1384 Atlantic Hwy, Warren Maine.

Hope’s Edge Farm

Comprising 100 acres of open fields and mixed woodlands, Hope’s Edge Farm is located in Northwest Hope. Located at 73 Morse Road Hope Maine. Although not certified organic, the folks at Hope’s Edge Farm are committed to non-chemical farming methods. In addition staff members have over 20 years experience using Biodynamic practices. We pledge that no agricultural chemicals have been used on this land since 1997.

Erickson Fields

Erickson Farm was a dairy farm for many generations, until the Erickson family stopped farming the land in the 1980s. The family welcomed Aldermere Farm to manage the fields for hay and for grazing Belted Galloway Cattle. When the Erickson family ultimately decided to sell the land, they worked closely with MCHT staff in partnership with Maine Farmland Trust (MFT) to preserve the farm property. This place belongs to all of us. Help us take care of it! Located at 164 West St, Rockport Maine.

Dooryard Farm

Dooryard farm is a small family-run farm serving the Camden-Rockland area. Their produce can be found at their Camden Farmstand as well as many local restaurants and markets. Founded in 2013, they have grown a diverse crop of vegetables as well as a few pasture raised animals. They are proudly MOFGA-certified organic and dedicated to an ecological approach to agriculture where their primary goal is building and maintaining soil fertility. Located at 208 Mechanic St Camden, Maine.

Stories from the Farms

At Hope’s Edge last Monday one of our volunteers brought her 3 yo daughter. She helped harvest, played and was an integral part in naming the unnamed sick lamb. She fed the sick lamb kale scraps and has now named him rainbow. It’s precious moments like this that make me so proud of what we are doing. It’s an opportunity to help a farm and for a 3yo girl to be a part of something to help the community.