“Now when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very corners of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest. Nor shall you glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather the fallen fruit of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the needy and for the stranger. I am the Lord your God.”
— Leviticus 19:9-10
During the month of August, the Farm opens its doors to Church of the Redeemer community for open gleaning on Saturdays from 7:30am to 11am. Please come out and take part in the harvest!
What is gleaning?
You may remember in the story of Ruth in the Old Testament, Boaz followed God’s command to the Israelites to leave grain in the margins of his fields for the poor and marginalized to harvest for their meals. Boaz’s generosity and faithfulness to this command ultimately brought him into the Christ story; he married the widow Ruth, who came to glean in his fields, and they became the ancestors of Christ.
How does this gleaning thing work at the Farm?
On Tuesday mornings in August, the Farm and the Society of St. Andrews will be gleaning the produce leftover from the summer season for the hungry in our community. Please come and join us if you are able! Email Madison for details.
On Saturday mornings in August, the Farm will also open its doors for gleaning by the Church of the Redeemer community to take home whatever you harvest! Nancy Damore, one of our faithful volunteer leaders, will be at the farm pointing out which vegetables need to be harvested and instructing how to do that.
As you harvest, we would love for you to consider:
Praising God for His generosity in giving the Farm an overabundance of harvest this season
Asking God how He can use the abundance of the produce you take home to bless your family, your neighbors, and the lonely, poor, or marginalized of your community
Asking God in what other areas of life you see an abundance and how He may ask you to allow others “to glean” from His generosity in your life
Here are some ideas: choose one or two Saturdays in August to come to the farm, invite a friend or family member to harvest with you, and then make something tasty with what you gather! Make a dish for a end-of-summer party, or bless someone with a fresh meal made with local veggies. Make it a community affair and give thanks to God with us that our land has been producing great food all summer!
What should I bring?
We recommend you bring…
Family and friends!
Baskets and bags to carry your harvest
Gardening gloves
Water and snack - Bringing water is essential during these hot, humid days!
Sunscreen and insect repellant
Long pants for extra insect and sun protection (optional, but many on the farm staff wear this in the summer for additional protection)