Blog post and photos by Hana Sedivy, Petaluma Bounty volunteer
From Farm to Fork (Without the Waste): Market Gleaning with Petaluma Bounty
Tuesdays just got a lot more meaningful at the Petaluma East Side Farmers Market.
Picture this: sun-ripened tomatoes, vibrant rainbow chard, and bundles of fresh herbs that didn’t get scooped up by shoppers. Instead of going to waste, they are headed to a local family’s dinner table. Enter: The Bounty Hunters.
No, not the intergalactic kind. These Bounty Hunters are a spirited crew of volunteers rolling up with baskets (and big hearts) to gather produce generously donated by local farmers market vendors. Their mission? Rescue surplus fruits and vegetables and deliver them to our neighbors through local organizations like COTS, Petaluma Health Center, and senior nutrition services such as Senior Cafe.
Why gleaning matters
Here’s the not-so-fun fact: Up to 40 percent of the food grown in the U.S. goes uneaten. At the same time, one in four Sonoma County households faces hunger. But gleaning flips that narrative, transforming potential waste into nourishment. It turns a food waste problem into a food access solution.
Petaluma People Services Center’s Petaluma Bounty makes the gleaning effort more than an act of kindness. It’s a well-organized, tax-deductible, community-powered movement that puts healthy, local food where it is needed most.
Volunteers collect produce donations
The Petaluma East Side Farmers Market at Luccesi Park is weekly year-round market bustling with excitement, community spirit, and great food. The market operates on Tuesdays from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Each Tuesday at 1:15 p.m., Bounty Hunter volunteers swing by the market to collect any extra produce vendors are willing to donate. It’s a streamlined operation; quick, friendly, and rewarding. We are grateful for the farmers and producers who provide the donations.
Got extra produce? Be a glean donor
The Bounty Hunters collect food at risk of going to waste from home gardeners, farms, and farmers markets alike. Bounty Hunters can come to you, whether you have a box of zucchini or a whole field of unharvested bounty. Petaluma Bounty can organize volunteer gleaners to pick it up or even harvest it right from the field. When there’s an overabundance of produce, reach out and request a Bounty Hunters glean.
Join the Glean Team!
Are you a community member who wants to get involved with gleaning? The Bounty Hunters are always looking for fresh faces and more helping hands.
📧 Email Allison at BountyHunters@PetalumaBounty.org
📞 Or give her a call/text at 707-787-1152
Editor’s note: This blog post was written by Hana Sedivy, who joined Petaluma Bounty as AmeriCorps fellow in November 2024. In late April of 2025, barely half way through her 11-month contract, funding for her position was abruptly terminated due to federal funding cuts. Hana continued her contributions to the Bounty through June, in a limited capacity, while striving to land a full-time job. We are grateful for her commitment, positive energy, and talent. We look forward to a lucky Petaluma-area employer landing her, so she stays nearby and stops by the farm whenever she can.