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Harvest Against Hunger has placed Harvest VISTAS with host sites around Washington since 2008, and graduated sites are still active in many parts of the state. Upper Valley MEND hosted a Harvest VISTA project to build and strengthen its Community Harvest gleaning program, which continues to thrive to this day.

On October 21, Rotary First Harvest collaborated with Upper Valley MEND’s Community Harvest gleaning project and Northwest Harvest to convene Rotarians and Interacters from Seattle, Leavenworth, and Cashmere for an apple glean at the Ringsrud Orchard in Cashmere. Despite snow in the passes, volunteers drove from Seattle and surrounding communities to glean beautiful cameo apples in a steady rain. Volunteer spirits remained high though no one stayed dry, and by noon, over 10,000 pounds of fresh apples had been picked. Northwest Harvest supplied bins and the transportation, and the apples are being distributed throughout Washington to families experiencing food insecurity. Orchard owner Chris Ringsrud said that it would have broken her heart to have put so much time and love into growing her cameo apples, only to see them go uneaten. She thanked the volunteers for coming out to pick apples on a cold, rainy day, so that families who otherwise wouldn’t be able to, can have apples to eat.