Leket Israel recently purchased a new field near Binyamina, where fruits and vegetables will be grown for the needy on an ongoing basis. For the first time in Leket’s history, some of the vegetables will be grown in greenhouses, enabling Leket to ensure a consistent supply of basic agricultural produce to hundreds of thousands of recipients throughout the country, according to their needs, regardless of donations of surplus received from farmers.
“Our goal is to meet the needs of the recipients throughout the winter months, when there is a significant shortage of vegetables, and the growth in incubators doubles the time period during which they can be supplied during the year.”
Unlike Leket’s growing initiative on Moshav Nahalal, the fields in Binyamina are the first fields ever owned by the organization, purchased through the generosity of a donor from overseas.
Images: Tomer Shemesh
“We are now completing the construction of the hot houses where we will grow tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers, the most sought after vegetables among the Israeli public,” says Guy Yehoshua, Director of Project Leket, the Gleaning program. “Our goal is to meet the needs of the recipients throughout the winter months, when there is a significant shortage of vegetables, and the growth in incubators doubles the time period during which they can be supplied during the year.”
Today, Leket rescues and distributes over 15,000 tons of produce each year, primarily through farmers donations. The goal with Binyamina is to enrich the needy’s basket of vegetables, and to act as a backup in times when the amount of donations of produce decreases. “Through the generous gift of the field in Binyamina, Leket will now be able to supply even more of the right types of vegetables, consistently to the many people who rely upon Leket’s food,” concludes Guy.
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