On this week’s program, your host, Justin Mog, heads out into the fields to glean inspiration and food for the hungry with Meghan Kontic, the North Central Field Coordinator for Glean Kentucky (https://gleanky.org). Glean Kentucky gathers and redistributes excess fresh fruits and vegetables to nourish Kentucky’s hungry. It was founded in 2010 by three individuals seeking to attack two problems: food waste and hunger. Recognizing that excess produce presented an opportunity to serve the large number of people needing food, they explored creative and effective ways to connect the two.

By gleaning (aka, gathering) excess produce from farms, orchards, grocery stores, farmers markets and home gardens, Glean Kentucky reduces local food waste and provides fruits and vegetable for more than 100 feeding programs. Glean Kentucky produce is never sold and is intended only for members of our community facing food insecurity. Since inception, the organization has served as a vital link between local sources of food and dozens of feeding programs. They glean nearly a thousand times a year and yet they’ve just scratched the surface of diverting wasted food. As Glean Kentucky’s network of food sources and partners continues to grow, they’re expanding their reach across Central Kentucky.

Both Meghan and Justin highly recommend you check out https://fallingfruit.org to find the best foraging opportunities in your neighborhood and to add sites to this great crowd-sourced map!

As always, our feature is followed by your community action calendar for the week, so get your calendars out and get ready to take action for sustainability NOW!

Sustainability Now! is hosted by Dr. Justin Mog and airs on Forward Radio, 106.5fm, WFMP-LP Louisville, every Monday at 6pm and repeats Tuesdays at 12am and 10am. Find us at https://forwardradio.org

The music in this podcast is courtesy of the local band Appalatin and is used by permission. Explore their delightful music at https://appalatin.com