It was an epic 2017 harvest for GleanSLO, which saves unwanted fruit and veggies from languishing on the vine by donating the goods to the SLO Food Bank. Throughout the region, GleanSLO recovered 8,912 pounds from seven backyards, 5,175 pounds from five farms, and 763 pounds from two farmers' markets. That's a total of 14,850 pounds of local produce rescued over an eight-day period. Impressive! For more information or to get involved, go to gleanslo.org or call 835-3750 ... Don't squander Mother Nature's harvest gifts! This holiday season, try pickling those leftover veggies for a satisfying snack that keeps things crunchy. National Picking Day was Nov. 14, but you can still get your hands briney (or give the gift of pickling) thanks to Los Osos-based business Quick Pickle Kit. Learn more by going to quickpicklekit.com. Δ

Hayley Thomas Cain likes pickles of all kinds. Send bites to [email protected].