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Gwen Lindberg is coming to City Fruit as a recent environmental science and policy graduate of the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma. Through academics and varied work experience (from farming to field work in a national park to sea kayak guiding), she has developed a particular interest in the intersections between our ecological systems and the ways that communities access and benefit from them. With this, she is super passionate about the work City Fruit does, bridging urban agriculture and orchard stewardship with local community impacts. While her summer term is just beginning, Gwen is already seeing the intricate web of community partners that make this work possible and sustainable. Stay tuned for more!

Gwen is super excited to be starting as the VISTA Seasonal Harvest Summer Associate with City Fruit in Seattle! Her first couple days of service started out with an intro to City Fruit’s staff, mission, and new office space located closer to many of their community partners. City Fruit is a small non-profit working to “harvest and steward urban fruit trees to support sustainable and equitable access to fruit”. By coordinating with public orchards and private fruit tree owners, they are able to divert ~30,000 pounds of fruit each year to local food banks, meal programs, and diversion partners. Diversion partners include bakeries, cideries, etc. that can process fruit that might be damaged or not up to standards for fresh consumption. Gwen’s first day included jumping in the minivan, affectionately known as Cherry, with Program Manager Riley and intern Lily to harvest a nearby cherry tree! While it’s pretty early in the harvest season, cherries are ripening nicely as well as certain species of apples. The cherry harvest was a perfect introduction to what this work looks like, including lots of standing on ladders! Fruit is always weighed to ensure accurate reporting; while the fruit on this first tree had some pest damage, the team still harvested over four pounds of fresh cherries to be donated soon!