Spokane’s neighborhoods are filled with fruit trees. According to a 2012 tree mapping completed by the city of Spokane, there are around 7,000 potentially edible trees throughout the city. This means that there is an abundance of fresh fruit and nuts that can be used…
Orchard Ladders Orchard ladders, or tripod ladders, have three legs to increase stability and allow gleaners to position the ladder securely between branches when picking high fruit. They’re available in various heights. Spokane Edible Tree Project owns 10-foot orchard ladders, which are secured to a…
Since its inception, SETP has been committed to educating the community about fruit tree care and food preservation. They have offered a variety of classes such as fruit tree pruning, apple cider vinegar making, and best fruit varieties for the Inland Northwest. Many individuals in…
Contact the Tree Owner SETP always gets permission before gleaning. Gather information about the tree(s) and the property with assistance from the tree owner. Details to gather: Tree owner’s contact information Tree types Number of trees Tree heights Location of the trees on the property…
Spokane Edible Tree Project expanded their produce recovery efforts to include the local farmers’ market in 2017. Twice a week, SETP volunteers arrived at the Spokane Farmers’ Market at closing time to pick up donations from vendors. Here’s how it worked during its inaugural year:…
Special Note** culls that are not significantly damaged but not market quality can be safely recovered with small groups of volunteers properly trained in food safety. Not a family-friendly event but an efficient way to recover produce. This can be a messy and physical event,…
Anywhere where there is an accumulation of food, there is waste, and can result in a need for gleaning! This can occur at a trucking company, farmers market, grocery store, farm, packaging warehouse, and even at produce stands. Anytime produce is accumulated, there can be…
Volunteer Specifics If gleaning in an orchard, most of the fruit will likely be in clusters only accessible by ladder, but some should still be accessible from the ground. Most groups or individuals participating in gleaning will come out for a few gleans and training…
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…
Volunteer Specifics If gleaning in an orchard, most of the fruit will likely be in clusters only accessible by ladder, but some should still be accessible from the ground. Most groups or individuals participating in gleaning will come out for a few gleans and training…