The Center for Agriculture and Food Systems (CAFS) at Vermont Law School recently launched a new website, nationalgleaningproject.org, to document the work of the National Gleaning Project and serve as a guide for individuals and organizations involved in agricultural gleaning and food recovery across the country. The website is one of several projects developed in partnership between CAFS and the National Agricultural Library (NAL) and supported by $759,000 in U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) funding.
The National Gleaning Project addresses issues related to gleaning, the broadest definition of which involves the recovery of surplus food for distribution to food-insecure populations.
The project's online gleaning resources hub, the first of its kind in the country, allows users to research laws pertaining to gleaning and food recovery; explore the work of similar organizations; and connect with organizations to consider opportunities for collaboration at the local, state, regional and national levels. The hub includes national and state laws and regulations regarding gleaning and food donation, a comprehensive guide to gleaning and food recovery organizations by U.S. region, and additional resources on a variety of legal and non-legal issues associated with gleaning and food recovery practices.
CAFS designed nationalgleaningproject.org to be a living resource that can grow and change. The site serves as a database of gleaning-related information that will be updated throughout the duration of the project, including with the addition of case studies that document best practices and innovations. Users may search for information by state and keyword.
"The National Gleaning Project and the resources available at nationalgleaningproject.org reflect Vermont Law School's commitment to developing real-world tools that benefit people and planet and that support advocates in their sustainable agriculture efforts," said CAFS Associate Director Laurie Beyranevand '03. "We are thankful for the USDA funding that enables the faculty and students at our Center for Agriculture and Food Systems to conduct this important work in partnership with the National Agriculture Library."
In addition to the National Gleaning Project, CAFS and NAL work collaboratively to develop legal tools for land tenure—to promote the transfer and retention of farmlands and acquisition of affordable farmland by new farmers. CAFS' Food and Agriculture Clinic spearheads the land tenure project work. A Farmland Tenure Online Resources Guide can be found at farmlandtenure.org.
The Center for Agriculture and Food Systems at Vermont Law School is the most comprehensive agriculture, food and environmental law program in the nation, emphasizing systems-based problem-solving and entrepreneurial innovation. CAFS supports scholars and practitioners by producing practical, robust scholarship for use by the food and agriculture community. For more information about the Center for Agriculture and Food Systems, visit www.vermontlaw.edu/cafs or email cafs@vermontlaw.edu.
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Vermont Law School, a private, independent institution, is home to the nation's largest and deepest environmental law program. VLS offers a Juris Doctor curriculum that emphasizes public service; three Master's Degrees—Master of Environmental Law and Policy, Master of Energy Regulation and Law, and Master of Food and Agriculture Law and Policy; and four post-JD degrees —LLM in American Legal Studies (for foreign-trained lawyers), LLM in Energy Law, LLM in Environmental Law, and LLM in Food and Agriculture Law. The school features innovative experiential programs and is home to the Environmental Law Center, South Royalton Legal Clinic, Environmental and Natural Resources Law Clinic, Energy Clinic, Food and Agriculture Clinic, and Center for Applied Human Rights. For more information, visit www.vermontlaw.edu, find us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter.