College Park, MD — Students in the University of Maryland’s Department of Nutrition and Food Science recently welcomed Alena Wright from the Society of St. Andrew (SoSA), the nation’s oldest and largest gleaning network, for an in‑depth discussion on food waste, gleaning practices, and community food recovery.
Wright, along with Jean Siers, Regional Director, lead SoSA’s work across the Delmarva region. Students were introduced to the organization’s mission and growing presence in Maryland. Although the Maryland office was established only four years ago, its impact has been substantial. In the past year alone, SoSA rescued 2.5 million pounds of fresh produce with the help of nearly 1,200 volunteers, partnering with 114 feeding agencies and 62 farms, grocery stores, and markets.
Wright explained the importance of gleaning. Gleaning is the practice of collecting unharvested, unsold, or cosmetically imperfect produce from farms. These efforts play a critical role in reducing food waste and working to end hunger in our community. She highlighted that up to 30% of food is lost at the farm level due to size, shape, minor imperfections and cost of harvesting, despite being perfectly edible.
SoSA works directly with farmers to collect or receive produce that would otherwise go to waste.Wright offered some examples including retrieving unsold watermelons after farmer’s market days or harvesting crops left in the field.
All recovered food is distributed to local partners such as food banks, church pantries, soup kitchens, homeless shelters, senior centers, and low‑income housing communities.
SoSA remains committed to ensuring that nutritious food reaches those who need it, preventing food waste and inspiring the next generation in service.
