Old Town Farmers’ Market Vendors Donate More Than 3,400 Pounds to Alexandria Food Pantry

ALEXANDRIA, VA — Food that might otherwise have gone unsold at the Old Town Farmers’ Market is finding its way to Alexandria families who need it.

Through a food gleaning partnership benefiting Christ Church’s Lazarus Food Pantry, vendors at the market have donated 3,460.54 pounds of fresh food so far this year, according to Melanie Gray, MSW, director of Outreach & Mission at Christ Church.

Each Saturday from June through September, volunteers from Christ Church and St. Paul’s Episcopal Church gather at the Old Town Farmers’ Market on King Street to collect, or “glean,” excess produce and other food donated by vendors. The food is then distributed through the Lazarus Food Pantry.

The effort turns food remaining at the end of the market into fresh groceries for Alexandria residents facing food insecurity. Andrea McNicholas is the contact for Christ Church’s Farmers Market Food Rescue program. Liz Denson is the contact for the Lazarus Food Pantry/Grocery Ministry. The Lazarus Food Pantry has recorded 1,440 visits so far in 2026.

The Saturday gleaning program builds on relationships among market vendors, church volunteers and the Alexandria community. Zebra reported in 2024 that Brandon Hare, a community services program coordinator for the City of Alexandria, contacted vendors about participating in the program and weighed donated food each week. That same 2024 Zebra report featured Emily and Ian Bryan and their children participating in the Saturday gleaning effort. Emily Bryan said at the time that her family had been looking for something they could do together that would benefit the larger community.

The donations change throughout the growing season depending on what farmers and other vendors have available. Produce, fruit, eggs, bread and other baked goods have been among the items collected. The Old Town Farmers’ Market has long been part of Alexandria’s history. Dating to 1753, it is among the nation’s oldest continuously operating farmers markets. George Washington sent produce from Mount Vernon to be sold there.

The gleaning effort adds another chapter to that history. Food remaining when the Saturday market winds down can be collected, weighed and redirected to the Lazarus Food Pantry instead of going to waste. Christ Church operates the pantry at 118 N. Washington St. Volunteers set up and distribute food Thursday mornings and also deliver food to homebound residents. The church receives additional food donations from local businesses and the Capital Area Food Bank.

For the farmers and other vendors who participate, the program provides a way to put unsold food to use. For volunteers, it means a few hours collecting and preparing donations. And for pantry guests, it means fresh food that began the week on farmers’ tables can end up on their own.