Thank you for your interest in volunteering with the Vashon Island Growers Association (VIGA) Food Preservation Initiative in partnership with the Vashon Maury Community Food Bank (https://www.vigavashon.org/preserve).  

GLEANING: Gleaning is the practice of collecting leftover crops from the field or excess produce from fruit trees, gardens, farmers markets and restaurants.  Gleaning reduces food waste and provides produce for people experiencing food insecurity.  

When you sign up to glean, you will need to meet the group at a location on the island and be prepared to do physical labor including carrying large baskets and standing on ladders.  Gleaning may also include driving to different locations to pick up and load food into your car and transport it to the food bank.

PRESERVING: Food can be preserved in a number of different ways including freezing, dehydrating, fermenting and canning.  The Food Preservation Initiative will be focused on drying since we have two freeze dryers.  

When you sign up to preserve, you will meet at Vashon Cohousing's Common House (10421 SW Bank Rd, Vashon, WA 98070).  We will wash and cut produce and move it into the freeze dryer.