Produce Good
Posy McKinney | Published on 3/29/2025
ProduceGood is a food recovery organization. They go to the source of surplus produce in orchards, farms, backyards, farmers markets and groceries. They glean the excess and then transport it to pantries, shelters and other organizations who feed food-insecure people in San Diego. Produce Good began in 2010, when Nita Kurmins Gilson was motivated by all the fruit from her neighbor’s trees lying on the ground. Even with friends and family helping to glean the fruit and take it to the local food bank, the problem was too great. In 2014, she was introduced to Jerilyn and Alexandria White and a partnership was formed. Jeri was focused on aging adults, Alex was concerned about access to whole foods for everyone and Nita was intent on reducing food waste. Together they founded ProduceGood which is now the largest and most active gleaning organization in San Diego County. They began with one feeding partner, Feeding America, and now have 100’s. One neighborhood of citrus trees has grown to hundreds of backyard growers and farmers and thousands of volunteers. Their mission to reduce food waste and hunger by connecting produce to food insecurity in local communities remains grassroot but their impact has grown throughout the county. They still maintain their backyard gleaning program, CropSwap, and coordinate thousands of volunteers through their MarketShare program who glean excess mixed produce from farms, farmers markets and grocery stores to get it to people in need.
You can get involved by becoming a member of ProduceGood’s active Community Orchard of volunteers. If you are a backyard grower, orchard owner, farmer, or grocer and have excess produce you would like to donate, ProduceGood will come to you to harvest, sort or haul your excess to where it can be used.