Welcome to The Gleaning Handbook

The Gleaning Network is now a legacy project

As of March 2026, the Gleaning Network is no longer a funded project. The toolkit remains live to provide key information for new groups to get going.

The Gleaning Network was originally developed to bring together existing and newly emerging gleaning groups to help share information, deliver training, and share resources. Gleaning groups across the UK, who are community-led and exist in all shapes and sized, continue to thrive.

A resource for new gleaning groups?

This toolkit contains all the information you need to get a new gleaning group going in your area. Gleaning groups across the UK link community organisations, farmers and volunteers together to harvest and redirect farm-level surplus to community food and food aid organisations.

Gleaning is a brilliant volunteering experience that gets local people outside and connected to their local food and farming system.

Are you a farmer with surplus? Get in touch to see how you can help.