Key points Before committing to gleaning or purchasing from any orchard (commercial or residential) consider: o Height of the trees o Condition of the ladders o Quality of fruit o Amount of volunteer…
Central Washington has an abundance of commercial orchards and fields, which provide a vast opportunity for produce recovery. The largest hurdle to partner with commercial orchards is the scale necessary to handle such opportunities. For example, a gleaning event took place at a 600-acre orchard….
When coordinating gleaning efforts in fruit growing areas, paying particular attention to orchardists as potential donors will likely provide a continual source of gleaning opportunities. While gleaning in orchards can result in an impressive increase in fresh fruit available in your regional emergency food system,…
U-pick orchards are a great gleaning resource because they are easy to access and often have harvesting materials on-site for your use. Also, U-pick growers can be a great asset for volunteer management because they work regularly with inexperienced pickers. The Yakima Valley Produce Harvest has used u-pick orchards to diversify both the type of growers..
U-Pick Farms are a uniquely engaging opportunity. These farms tend to be the most ‘user-friendly’, as they are by design to be harvested by folks of all ages and skill levels. U-Pick produce tends to be delicate crops like peaches, blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries..
A variety of fruit trees live and thrive in Southwest Washington. It can seem tricky to know when fruit is ready to harvest, but here is a helpful breakdown of indicators by fruit tree type..
Urban Abundance harvests and tends backyard and community orchards in Clark County, WA. Pruning is an essential element of orchard maintenance, and pruning at different times of year can yield different results.
For its first year, the 2019 OIC’s fruit gleaning has been slow but steady. We have gleaned local orchards, backyards and a permaculture collective..
Overview: In order to take advantage of the successful gleaning program and bypass the storage limitations of food relief agencies, volunteer-based workshops can process excess gleaned produce into shelf-stable items for distribution and teach food preservation and waste prevention..