—Home Harvest

Home Harvest rescues and redirects excess food from backyard gardens and fruit trees, ensuring that fresh local produce doesn’t go to waste.

Our volunteers harvested rhubarb, lettuce, apples, crabapples, baby tomatoes, carrots, zucchini and beets in 2021

The program launched in 2020 in Calgary and Edmonton and is expanding this year.

In 2021, 3,185 pounds of fruit were harvested in Edmonton and Calgary

Volunteering with Home Harvest is a great way to get out in the fresh air while supporting your community. Half (or more!) of the harvest will go to a service agency running food access programming for our vulnerable neighbours, and as the harvest volunteer, you can take some home as well, increasing your own access to fresh, local produce.

Getting started is easy! Just download Leftovers Rescue Food App, sign up and choose a Home Harvest route that works for you.

By downloading the Rescue Food App, you consent to receiving email communications from Leftovers.

Do you have a fruit tree or backyard garden and want to participate as a grower? That’s easy too. Just fill in the form below and your City Coordinator will contact you with instructions on how to sign up to our Grower portal.

Already Signed Up as a Grower? Login to Set Up a Harvest or Pickup!

—Home Harvest

Home Harvest rescues and redirects excess food from backyard gardens and fruit trees, ensuring that fresh local produce doesn’t go to waste.

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COVID-19 Guidelines - Growers

Hello Growers,

THANK YOU for your commitment to reducing food waste and helping those experiencing food insecurity!

Below are some COVID guidelines to keep in mind when requesting a harvest:

CANCEL YOUR HARVEST REQUEST if you and/or someone that you have been in contact with is not feeling well, has travelled within 14 days, has been in close contact with a confirmed case of the Coronavirus, or are awaiting test results.

If you choose to keep some of the harvested food, please WASH IT BEFORE CONSUMING.

Please avoid contact with harvest volunteers. If you do interact with them in person, please ensure you MAINTAIN PHYSICAL DISTANCE AND WEAR A MASK.

If you have any questions at all, please email us at help@rescuefood.ca. Thank you so much for your help and willingness to be there for our community!

COVID-19 Guidelines

Hello Volunteers,

THANK YOU for your commitment to reducing food waste and helping those experiencing food insecurity!

Below are some COVID guidelines to keep in mind while harvesting on behalf of Home Harvest:

You must SIGN A WAIVER prior to attending a harvest

Volunteers who sign up in the app must keep a record of everyone who attends each harvest with them so that they can be notified if needed for contact-tracing purposes

Please WEAR A MASK throughout the harvest and WASH YOUR HANDS/USE HAND SANITIZER before and after the harvest (and during, if necessary). Contact help@rescuefood.ca if you’d like a reusable mask.

PHYSICAL DISTANCING MUST BE PRACTICED AT ALL TIMES. Please ensure you maintain physical distance from individuals not in your cohort, including other harvest volunteers and growers.

DO NOT HARVEST FOOD if you and/or someone that you have been in close contact with is not feeling well, has travelled within 14 days, has been in contact with a confirmed case of the Coronavirus, or are awaiting test results.

SANITIZE SURFACES you come in contact with (fences, gates, tools, equipment) before and after the harvest.

LEAVE NO TRACE. Please take home any sanitizing equipment, masks and garbage created throughout the pick.

Practice NO CONTACT DROP OFFS at agencies (ensure that the food is in a safe/covered area).

Bags or boxes that you are using to contain/transport the harvested food do not need to be sterilized, but please ensure they are clean.

Please Note: Volunteers are not responsible for washing fruit before donation to charities. Charities that accept fruit donations will be responsible for fruit washing before food preparation and/or eating.

If you have any questions at all, please email us at help@rescuefood.ca. Thank you so much for your help and willingness to be there for our community!

Hello Growers,

THANK YOU for your commitment to reducing food waste and helping those experiencing food insecurity!

Below are some COVID guidelines to keep in mind when requesting a harvest:

CANCEL YOUR HARVEST REQUEST if you and/or someone that you have been in contact with is not feeling well, has travelled within 14 days, has been in close contact with a confirmed case of the Coronavirus, or are awaiting test results.

If you choose to keep some of the harvested food, please WASH IT BEFORE CONSUMING.

Please avoid contact with harvest volunteers. If you do interact with them in person, please ensure you MAINTAIN PHYSICAL DISTANCE AND WEAR A MASK.

If you have any questions at all, please email us at help@rescuefood.ca. Thank you so much for your help and willingness to be there for our community!

COVID-19 Update