Education Group
Laura Andres, Rachel Dodge, Lauren Weimer, Mary Smythe, Carly Sowirka
Professor Crystal Scott-Tunstall
Embedded Files
Background
Fulton Street Farmers Market
Fulton Street Farmers Market was established in the early 20th century. Along with twenty or so other markets in Michigan, its establishment provided greater accessibility to less expensive, fresh produce from local farmers. By the 1960s, many of the other markets lost their place in their community due to further development, but Fulton Street Farmers Market maintained their identity and place within the city of Grand Rapids. The market is a keystone to food systems in Grand Rapids, bringing together a community in need. It hosts about 200 vendors per season and had a total impact of $318,580 worth of food assistance in 2021 (Fulton Street Farmers Market, n.d.).
Heartside Gleaning
The Heartside community is one of the central districts of Grand Rapids. Heartside Gleaning initially worked in this community, bringing food to people who are low-income or homeless. Since forming in 2013, the project expanded to help other neighborhoods with similar needs (HGI Mission and History, n.d.).
Since 2014, Heartside Gleaning has collected and given out 270,714 pounds of fresh produce to the community. However, the initiative will now be run by Fulton Street Farmers Market as the Market Gleaning Program. The Heartside Gleaning Initiative will still run the Good Food Boxes program. Fulton Street Market's plan is to gather excess produce at the end of every Saturday market. Ten to twelve volunteers will be needed to distribute this food to Heartside Neighborhood, God's Kitchen, The Other Way Ministries, and the Community Food Club (Watson, 2022).
The Role of Education
Fulton Street Farmers Market's gleaning program needs more educational initiatives to succeed in effectively addressing the food needs of the Grand Rapids community. Currently, the program lacks clear direction for volunteer duties, acknowledgment from the community and customers, and full support from all vendors. These aspects are underdeveloped because the gleaning program is relatively new; there has yet to be a chance to spread educational awareness. We decided to take action because additional education will help stakeholders further understand the mission of the gleaning program; consequently, they will be more likely to devote their time and efforts to the cause.
Photo by
Educating & Engaging Community
Educating & Engaging Community
Classes could be held by FSFM in regard to certain produce, like how to prepare and use them.
Posters/pamphlets can be used to spread awareness in the community, such as in places like churches, local businesses, and community centers.
Events can be held to build awareness, bring the community together, and build connections.
Information on the gleaning initiative should also be made more accessible through the FSFM's website.
Photo by Adam Bird
Educating & Engaging Vendors
Educating & Engaging Vendors
FSFM can hold a class about how to get involved in gleaning as well as how it helps support the community right after they close; the vendors will be at the site anyways so it is convenient.
In order to establish vendor status, FSFM could also require that vendors complete a short module on gleaning online or on paper. Offering both formats helps support inclusivity as not everyone has access to a computer/internet.
Incentives can be provided to engage vendors such as highlighting a “Vendor of the Week” for gleaning participants. This is appealing because it provides free publicity.
Photo by
Educating Students Grades K-12
Educating Students Grades K-12
Students can take a field trip to FSFM to learn about the gleaning initiative and observe the gleaning process.
Gleaned produce could be brought to schools in order to spark a discussion about the gleaning process with students.
Schools can teach a lesson/activity about gleaning and/or the FSFM as a part of a class. For example, gleaning could be easily incorporated into an environmental science class.
Photo by Richard Deming
Educating Fulton Street Market Customers
Educating Fulton Street Market Customers
Volunteers at the market or the Renewed Gleaning booth can hand out pamphlets/flyers that explain the necessity for gleaning, how the program works, and information about volunteering.
FSFM can hold events that bring people into the gleaning project such as a community fundraiser.
FSFM can raise awareness of deeper food system issues in society by providing sustainability classes to the community.
Photo by Lauren Weimer
Educating Volunteers
Educating Volunteers
Educational programming can be created to allow volunteers to understand their position and mission of the program through curriculum and online sign up (Burger).
Increasing the amount of materials given to volunteers such as lanyards, pamphlets, and posters will allow distinction between volunteers and customers.
FSFM can provide incentives and initiatives to allow further engagement (Nagy). Volunteers are allowed to take gleaned produce and are invited to an end-of-the-season meal. Educational classes can also be provided such as canning, gardening, and how to store produce.
A new initiative that the gleaning program can take on would be increasing the amount of food recovered through offering volunteer positions in visiting farms to help glean (Astill). This flyer template can be used to encourage volunteers to participate in another volunteer opportunity to increase the amount of food gleaned and educate volunteers on food recovery.
Conclusion
Overall, there are multiple areas in which educational initiatives can help the gleaning program succeed. From increasing learning opportunities about the gleaning process at the market to offering educational opportunities off-site, the FSFM can reach and engage a larger audience.
Sources
Astill, G. (2020, March 2). Food loss: Why food stays on the farm or off the market. USDA ERS. Retrieved October 18, 2022, from https://www.ers.usda.gov/amber-waves/2020/march/food-loss-why-food-stays-on-the-farm-or-off-the-market/
Bird, A. (2017, May). Food, Farms, and Community: The Fulton Street Farmers Market in its 95th year. Rapid Growth. Retrieved November 11, 2022, from https://www.rapidgrowthmedia.com/features/fultonfarmersmarket95.aspx
Burger, E. (2021, October 13). Why Volunteer Management is Important in 2021., VolunteerHub. Retrieved October 19, 2022, from https://www.volunteerhub.com/blog/volunteer-management-is-important-in-2021/
Deming, R. (2012, May 25). GR City. Flickr. Retrieved November 11, 2022, from https://www.flickr.com/photos/rickeyd72/7281874820/
Fulton Street Farmers Market (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.fultonstreetmarket.org/
HGI Mission and History. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.heartsidegleaning.org/what-we-do.html
Nagy, J. (n.d.). Section 2. Providing Incentives for Staff and Volunteers. Community Tool Box. Retrieved October 19, 2022, from https://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/maintain/redward-accomplishments/staff-volunteer-incentives/main
Watson, R. (2022). Fulton Street Farmers Market to operate gleaning program. Grand Rapids Magazine. Retrieved from https://www.grmag.com/people-places/spotlight/fulton-street-farmers-market-to-operate-gleaning-program/
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse