MANITOWOC (NBC 26) — Inside a pantry fridge in Manitowoc, shelves of fresh vegetables tell a story that goes far beyond what's for dinner. Each item represents produce that didn't sell at the farmers market but still found its way to families in need.
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Glean Manitowoc started as a student-led project designed to reduce food waste in the community. Seven high school students approaching their senior year wanted to make a significant impact with their capstone project.
"They were all approaching their senior year of high school and they're like lets do a big thing, a big finale, a capstone project," said Laura Apfelbeck, UW Extension nutrition educator.
The inspiration came when the students were at the Manitowoc Farmers Market for another project and began wondering about the fate of unsold produce.
"What's going to happen to all of this food?" Apfelbeck said.
That simple question sparked their senior project initiative.
"It started with 7 high school students who would go to the market every Saturday and we would speak with vendors and we brought it to the Southville Townhouses subsidized housing facilities," said Sophia Meisner, who was one of the founding students and now works as a pantry assistant.
The students were motivated by both environmental and social concerns.
"We are interested in how to reduce food waste and interested in repurposing it in areas that it would do more good," Meisner said.
With support from Grow It Forward and UW-Madison Extension FoodWise, the project has successfully redirected thousands of pounds of produce to families in need. The initiative has also inspired vendors to become more involved in the donation process.
"We have actually had several vendors tell me at the end of the day, hey I'll be stopping by with some leftover produce or they'll bring additional produce to the market specifically so they can donate it," Meisner said.
Meisner says she's inspired by the generosity of the vendors and their care for the community. This year alone, Glean Manitowoc collected over 5,000 pounds of produce, preventing food waste while addressing food insecurity in the area.
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