Gleaning from the Trees: Community Harvest Update

This summer pears and apples are the darlings of Lettuce Link’s Community Fruit Tree Harvest. We’re missing the Italian prune plum mania of 2009, but love to harvest and donate nevertheless!

Since 2005, volunteers with Lettuce Link’s Community Fruit Tree Harvest have been harvesting urban fruit. Our volunteers make the harvest happen year after year. Thanks to their efforts, tens of thousands of pounds of fruit make it to people rather than rotting on the ground.

This season, we have volunteer harvest leads in Seattle neighborhoods along with fruit harvesters around the city. We’ve been busy harvesting and donating in Ballard, Central Seattle, Capitol Hill, NE Seattle, South Park and Wallingford.

Recently, I had the pleasure of picking beautiful pears in Northeast Seattle. The owner gave me a tour of her tree and relayed tales of canning and eating fresh pears. At 90 years old, she still waters her pear tree regularly, and is thrilled that her fruit can be harvested and used. Her pears were enjoyed by clients at Family Works Food Bank. These stories and smiles make the Community Fruit Tree Harvest a joy to work with.

As of August 26, we’ve harvested 1650 pounds of fruit. Volunteers harvest fruit from residential fruit trees and donate to a nearby food bank or meals program. This year we’ve donated fruit to a variety of organizations including: U-District Food Bank, Ballard Food Bank, CAMP Food Bank, Providence Regina Food Bank, Hopelink Shoreline, Silvercrest Senior Residences, VOA Greenwood, Union Gospel Mission, and North Helpline.

Take a look at Lettuce Link’s ‘Where to Donate’ sheet for Seattle food banks, meals programs and community organizations that accept fresh produce donations.

To get help harvesting and donating your fruit, please contact Seattle Tilth’s Garden Hotline at 206-633-0224 or help@gardenhotline.org

About the author: Sadie Beauregard is an AmeriCorps*VISTA volunteer with Lettuce Link at Solid Ground. She originates from Vashon Island and loves learning to garden and give with the dynamic gardeners, growers and organizers in Seattle’s world of urban agriculture.  This is her second year coordinating Lettuce Link’s Community Fruit Tree Harvest.

Related posts:

1. Help Harvest Community Fruit this Summer
2. City Fruit is Gearing up for 2011 Harvest Season
3. Please Help City Fruit with Big Give!

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