Ag Against Hunger will host a special Autumn Harvest glean and open house barbecue at their cooler on Saturday, November 21, 2009 to thank their supporters and volunteers while providing more food for the hungry during the holidays. More than 100 gleaners are expected to attend the final glean of the season. Gleaners should meet at the cooler at 495 Brunken Ave. in Salinas at 8:30 a.m. and join Ag Against Hunger's produce donors and sponsors for a barbecue at 11:30 a.m.

This glean will provide additional fresh produce to local food banks just before Thanksgiving, so they may share this food with families throughout the tri-county area and beyond. From April through November gleaners harvest produce from local fields that would otherwise be tilled back into the soil.

The 2010 gleaning season will be funded through a grant from the Monsanto Fund, who will also sponsor the barbeque following this gleaning event. The Central Coast Young Farmers and Ranchers will barbecue. Donors, supporters and people interested in learning more about Ag Against Hunger are welcome to attend, but must reserve their spots before Friday, November 20 th by calling 831.755.1480.

Ag Against Hunger is a non-profit agency providing fresh donated produce to food banks in the tri-county of Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Benito counties, then statewide and out-of-state when the fresh produce needs of local food banks are satisfied. Since 1990, area growers and shippers have donated over 160 million pounds of fresh fruit and vegetables to help feed the hungry.