WHOLESALE FOOD ACCESS PROGRAM

Our Wholesale Food Access Program is designed for agencies that do not qualify as Hunger Relief Partners but still wish to receive gleaned produce to address issues of food access and economic injustice. For inquiries into joining this program, please contact Charlotte Border, Distribution Manager, at sgc[@]bostonareagleaners.org or (781) 894-3212. ​​

Please read through the following FAQs to learn about this exciting new program!

WHAT IS THE WHOLESALE FOOD ACCESS PROGRAM?

• ​In order to secure access to surplus bumper crops, Boston Area Gleaners compensates farmers a small acquisition fee.  Because of this acquisition fee, we are able to secure a steady supply of these surplus crops while compensating farmers for a crop they may not have otherwise sold or donated.
• In turn, partners that are part of the Wholesale Food Access Program get access to this produce for a service fee that is set per crop during the growing season. These partners receive a weekly availability list from Boston Area Gleaners with the price per case of each crop available at that time.
• Crops resulting from this program are not intended to compete with the for-profit marketplace, but rather compliment it by increasing local, healthy food consumption in underserved areas, providing local food educational opportunities, and providing other supportive activities to increase food security in our region. Additionally, this program bolsters the local economy by providing dollars and jobs to people along multiple aspects of the food chain.

WHAT TYPES OF AGENCIES CAN JOIN THE Wholesale food access program?

• The Wholesale Food Access Program is provides gleaned produce to​ agencies that have a social mission related to food justice but do not give produce for free to those in need.  Examples include:
  
  • agencies that provide produce and other healthy food at a reduced cost to individuals to increase access to healthy food at affordable prices in underserved areas (e.g. Daily Table);
    
  • culinary job training for economically depressed communities;
    
  • institutions with a social mission;
    
  • mobile markets;
    
  • and social enterprise organizations. 
• We encourage agencies addressing new and innovative ways to increase food security, nutrition education, and local economic strength to inquire about joining. We hope that this program will take an existing resource (surplus produce) to help create new opportunities for low-income individuals in our region.
• All agencies that receive produce from Boston Area Gleaners must either be a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, an agency/program fiscally sponsored by a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, or a government agency.

​IS THE PRODUCE IN THE WHOLESALE FOOD ACCESS PROGRAM GLEANED?

​The Wholesale Food Access Program produce is surplus produce which is gleaned by Boston Area Gleaners staff and volunteers, but by providing a small acquisition fee to the farmers, we are securing access to these surplus crops while compensating farmers for a crop they may not have otherwise sold or donated.

is there a fee to join the Wholesale food access program?

• There is no fee for joining the Wholesale Food Access Program.
• Boston Area Gleaners sets prices per case for items in this program. Partners receive a weekly availability list from Boston Area Gleaners with the price per case of each crop available at that time.Examples of prices may be $6.50/case for apples and $10/case for winter squash.
• There is a delivery fee of $50 per delivery if an agency wishes to receive deliveries (subject to change).

​CAN AGENCIES SELL THE PRODUCE FROM THE wholesale food access PROGRAM?

• Yes, the produce from this program may be sold so long as the agency selling the produce has a mission of providing food access or other economic stimulators for low-income or marginal populations.
• Agencies that receive produce from this program must set prices at least 50% below market price for a comparable item and must be transparent about pricing structure and provide Boston Area Gleaners pricing data for produce supplied by Boston Area Gleaners on request.

​WHEN IS THE GLEANING SEASON? WHEN IS PRODUCE AVAILABLE?

• The gleaning season usually lasts about 20 weeks (mid-July through mid-December).
• The expected dates of the 2018 gleaning season are July 15 - December 8 (please note that these dates are not set in stone and are dependent on crop availability and growing conditions in any given year).

WHAT CROPS ARE TYPICALLY PART OF THIS PROGRAM?

• The bumper crop per season changes: sometimes it’s apples and peaches, sometimes it’s tomatoes and summer squash, and sometimes it’s greens (or all of the above!).
• The crops included in this program change from year to year due to changes in the growing season.

OTHER IMPORTANT NOTES 

• Quantity and variety of available produce is subject to local growing conditions.
• Our standard “case” size is 1 banana box (about 1 bushel) for most types of produce.
• Boston Area Gleaners offers a delivery service to agencies that cannot pick up at our main office location.
  • Delivery service availability is dependent on agency location and scheduling.
  • Deliveries require a minimum of 6 cases.
  • Boston Area Gleaners main office location for pickups is 240 Beaver St., Waltham, MA.
• To learn more about partnering with us, please visit our Partner Agency Info and FAQ page.

​HOW DOES AN AGENCY BECOME A PART OF THE wholesale food access PROGRAM?

​Please contact Charlotte Border, Distribution Manager, at sgc[@]bostonareagleaners.org or (781) 894-3212.​​

If you have additional questions or would like to apply, please contact Charlotte Border, Distribution Manager, at sgc[@]bostonareagleaners.org or (781)894-3212.