Where to Find Free Food and Where to Share Surplus Food

Money may not grow on trees but fruit does

As the gap between the have-nots and the want-everythings expands, must the tech bros corrupt our language as well? The editor in me cringes every time I hear the term “sharing economy.” Redefining the word “sharing” as someone charging for a service (a room, a ride) perverts the English language—and religion, philosophy, common decency and stuff every kindergartener knows. 

By sharing—in the literal sense of the word—the 21 endeavors listed in this newsletter prevent waste, reduce pollution and help build community.

Seen on the Grow Food, Not Lawns Facebook page several years ago

Food sharing and recovery

These outfits provide free food or the means of acquiring it. Some divert food from landfill by enabling people to either locate free produce or share what they grow with others. Or they glean excess food on farms and distribute it to those who need it. Others transform food deserts into urban gardens.

1. Falling Fruit (global)

This worldwide interactive map lists fruit trees and other fresh produce available for foraging. When I enter my zip code, hundreds of locations pop up within just a few miles of me. List food or find food on the website here.

2. Guerilla Grafters (global)

Guerilla Grafters “[undoes] capitalist civilization one branch at a time” by secretly grafting fruit-bearing limbs onto sterile, ornamental fruit trees in urban areas that lack access to fresh produce. Find said grafted trees on the Falling Fruit map here. 

3. OLIO (global)

Although OLIO enables people to share all kinds of stuff, it started out as a food-sharing app—and people still share food through it today. Snap a picture of your excess food and upload it to the app where nearby neighbors who receive alerts can see it and request it. Visit OLIO’s website here.

4. Food Is Free Project (global)

This organization encourages people to grow food in their yards and share with their neighbors. The Facebook page has a large, engaged following. Visit the Food Is Free website here.

In Australia, Lou Ridsdale started her own Food Is Free branch at her home by putting out some of her homegrown vegetables and a “Food Is Free” sign. Those efforts morphed into the community hub, Food Is Free Laneway Ballarat.

If you’re inspired to start growing and need free seeds, check out this worldwide map of seed libraries.

5. Community fridges (global)

These sources of free food might stock surplus food from a restaurant or extra carrots from a neighbor’s garden. The food is available for anyone to take. Freedge maintains lists of community fridges around the world. Go here for its map and go here for its database. In June 2023, Free-Go launched community fridges in Switzerland, inspired by this food sharing program in Germany.

6. Little Free Pantry (global but mostly US)

Similar to Little Free Libraries, those small curbside cabinets filled with books, Little Free Pantries contain food. Neighbors take what they need or leave what they can. Go here to check out the map of free pantries.

7. Ample Harvest (US)

The website connects home and community gardeners with pantries to which they can donate their surplus homegrown produce. Individuals can then search for these pantries near them. Learn more here. 

8. The Ron Finley Project (Los Angeles, US)

If you haven’t watched Ron Finley’s inspiring TedTalk, do yourself a favor and check it out here. Ron and his organization have transformed abandoned parking lots and parkways located in South Central LA’s food desert into edible gardens for the community to enjoy. Check out the website here.

9. Urban Gleaners (Portland, US)

Volunteers collect food from restaurants, grocery stores, businesses, schools, farms and wholesalers and distribute it to those who need it via various organizations. Urban Gleaners also has over 20 free food markets in Portland. Find out more here.

10. Free Food For All (Seattle, US)

Through its Really Free Markets, Free Burrito Project, Meals for Kids and more, Free Food For All provides, well, free food that it recovers from food retailers. It has shared over 1 million meals! Check out the website here.

11. FoodCycle (UK)

Foodcycle feeds nourishing meals made from surplus food that might otherwise go to waste, while reducing loneliness through its welcoming spaces in which people eat together and connect. Go here to find a meal.

12. Affordable Living SA (South Australia)

A joint initiative of The Government of South Australia and The Salvation Army, this organization has locations throughout South Australia, which provide food and much more. Visit the website here.

Pay-what-you-feel grocery stores and cafés

So money usually does exchange hands in these organizations that divert food waste from landfill but unlike tech companies claiming to make the world a better place, these cafés and supermarkets actually do.

13. Daily Table (Massachusetts, US)

Launched by Doug Rauch, the former president of Trader Joe’s, this nonprofit grocery store provides fresh, nutritious food at prices that are affordable on a SNAP budget. It currently operates five stores. Go here to learn more.

14. The Real Junk Food Project (UK)

The Real Junk Food Project network has locations in various cities in the UK, including this Brighton location. The network rescues edible food from the waste stream, cooks it and serves it on a pay-what-you-feel basis.

15. The Good Food (Cologne, Germany)

The first German supermarket that sells food waste only, The Good Food rescues perfectly good food from farmers and producers and sells it on a pay-what-it’s-worth-to-you basis. Check out the store’s website here.

16. OzHarvest Supermarket (Waterloo, Australia)

This free supermarket provides produce and pantry staples five days a week. Patrons are encouraged to take what they need and give if they can. Learn more here.

If you have food in need of gleaning

“Gleaning is simply the act of collecting excess fresh foods from farms, gardens, farmers markets, grocers, restaurants, state/county fairs, or any other sources in order to provide it to those in need.” — USDA

17. Village Harvest Gleaning Directory (US)

The majority of the gleaning organizations in the directory operate in California, Oregon and Washington, with several others scattered across the country. Go here for the list.

18. FoodShift (San Francisco Bay Area, US)

This nonprofit works with communities, businesses, schools and governments to recover and distribute edible food. It also operates a kitchen that produces food products from imperfect food. The kitchen hires and trains people facing challenges such as poverty, disabilities or domestic violence. Check out FoodShift’s website here.

19. Not Far From the Tree (Toronto, Canada)

Volunteers harvest fruit and split it three ways: a third goes to the tree’s registrant, a third to the volunteer pickers and a third to food banks, shelters and community kitchens, delivered via bike. Check out the website here.

20. Vancouver Fruit Tree Project (Vancouver, Canada)

This non-profit picks excess fruit from backyard trees and shares it with neighbors, community centers and day cares. Since it began 25 years ago, it has rescued nearly 106,000 pounds of fruit. Visit the website here.

21. The Gleaning Network (UK)

Part of Feedback, an environmental organization that fights to end wasted food, The Gleaning Network brings together farmers with excess produce, volunteers to pick it and distributors to get the excess food to those in need. Since 2012, the network has rescued nearly 700 tonnes of food.

Although bad news bombards us constantly, as you can see from this short list, a great deal of sharing and incredible, selfless work go on in the world every day. If you know of other food-sharing organizations, please mention them in a comment.

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