Everyone at the Table | Growing Food Security in Prince George
aBOUT gap
The GAP is an initiative of the Everyone At the Table (EAT) collective in partnership with the Recycling & Environmental Action Planning Society (REAPS) and Eco Living Community (ELC). The original GAP aimed to complement and partner with existing initiatives like the Northern Bear Awareness Society (NBAS) and the Northern Lights Estate Winery.
The Gleaning Abundance Program (GAP) connects fruit tree owners with volunteer gleaners to:
Prevent food waste
Improve bear and community safety by removing bear attractants
Improve food security by storing the autumn bounty for the winter months
Foster a community that works together
What you get as a gleaning volunteer:
Improved food security: Gleaners share up to ⅓ of the gleaned fruit among themselves
The satisfaction of:
reducing waste
contributing to local food security
contributing to bear and community awareness
Build community
What you get as a tree owner:
Your tree is cleaned up
We will give you up to ⅓ of your fruit
Your yard is safer without bear attractants
The satisfaction of:
reducing waste
contributing to local food security
contributing to bear and community safety
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What the community gets:
Improved food security
Waste prevention
Bear protection through the removal of attractant
A safer community
A more connected community
Safety First
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How to use an orchard ladder safely?
Check the VIDEO
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If you are uncomfortable climbing a ladder, please don’t climb it. You can pick the low fruit, clean up the fallen fruit, or help sort and weigh the harvest.
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Make sure ladders are stable and secure before climbing up. Be particularly careful on a slope or on soft ground. If in doubt, ask someone to hold the ladder while you are on it.
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Orchard ladders are not designed for use on hard surfaces like driveways or sidewalks. Use a regular ladder for those areas.
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Don’t overreach. The fruit is not worth risking a fall. Get down and move the ladder if you need to.
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Be conscious of other hazards such as pokey branches, holes in the ground, or tree stumps sticking up.
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Please ensure kids take part safely and respectfully – no running or yelling in consideration of homeowners and their neighbors.
Use of Apples Gleaned
As much of the fruit as possible is processed into sauces, jams, and juices by the Canning Circle of the Everyone At the Table Collective (EAT) and other community kitchens and shared amongst volunteer programs and people in need.
The Canning Circle established the sharing network over a year in partnership with The Salvation Army Food Rescue Program, processing food that is shared with programs like Baby's New Beginnings, Knights Inn, Positive Living North, the Firepit, New Hope, and UNDU (Uniting Northern Drug Users UNDU’ing stigma).
Excess fruit is received by the Northern Lights Estate Winery and local farmers for animal feeding, as the Northern Bear Awareness Society has successfully done for a years. In return, the winery donates money to support the Northern Bear Awareness Society in Prince George and the Northern Lights Wildlife Society in Smithers.
Fall Fruit Fest
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Fall Fruit Fest, is an annual apple harvest and processing event that takes place around Prince George through partnerships between EAT, Northern Bear Awareness Society (NBAS) and UNBC sustainability who make up the active members of the organizing committee.
This project brings together people and groups who care about bear safety and food security. Whether you have a tree full of fruit or you’re ready to help pick, there’s a way to get involved.
Last year the aim was to collect 50,000 lbs of fruit from local yards to help keep bears moving along as they prep for winter — and to make sure good food doesn’t go to waste.
Interested in learning more or joining for 2026:
Contact REAPS at: +1 250 561 7327 or by email at: EATGleaningAbundance@gmail.com
EAT: https://www.letseatlocalpg.com/who-we-are
REAPS: https://www.reaps.org/
Register for Gleaning
Questions:
🍎
**Priority given to those with mobility challenges**
What you get as a tree owner: 🍎
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Your tree is cleaned up
-
We will give you up to ⅓ of your fruit
-
Your yard is safer without bear attractants
-
The satisfaction of:
-
reducing waste
-
contributing to local food security
-
contributing to bear and community safety
-
🍎 If you are contacting us to glean your tree, we will do our best to match you with volunteers but we encourage you to also exercise the following options:
🍎 Connect with people who might want your fruit on the Northern Bear Awareness Society Fruit Exchange Facebook Page
🍎 Pick your apples and drop them off at the Northern Lights Estate Winery to feed farm animals. Bins have been set up outside and you can drop off 24/7 at 745 Prince George Pulpmill Rd
🍎 Hire the DART team to pick your apples and take them away DART: 250 563 6311
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Register To Volunteer
Questions:
🍎To volunteer to pick, transport
🍎What you get as a gleaning volunteer:
-
Improved food security: Gleaners share up to ⅓ of the gleaned fruit among themselves
-
The satisfaction of:
-
reducing waste
-
contributing to local food security
-
contributing to bear and community awareness
-
-
Build community
🍎What the community gets:
-
Improved food security
-
Waste prevention
-
Bear protection through the removal of attractant
-
A safer community
-
A more connected community
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