Volunteer Newsletter, September 16, 2005

 

HARVESTING FOR THE HUNGRY - APPLES

The apple harvest was adversely affected by the spring rains (bees don't like to get wet) this year so there is only one apple orchard in Portola Valley that we'll be harvesting.  Volunteers that have harvested from this orchard in the past say that the fruit from these trees are especially delicious.

Please RSVP and we'll send you information on where to meet.

Saturday, September 24th
9:00 - 12:30pm
Apples in Portola Valley
Volunteers 12 and over are welcome
We will be meeting earlier at Mt. View CSA -- let us know if you'd like to carpool from there.
 

Instructions for harvesting volunteers:

  • Dress in layers, with sun protection, heat, and insect repellant in mind.
  • Wear comfortable covered shoes. There will be a lot of standing, and the orchards are uneven, so hiking boots or other footwear that protects your ankles is appropriate.
  • Bring a small box or bag to share in the harvest. Tree ripened fruit from Santa Clara Valley... it doesn't get any better than this!
  • See our Volunteer FAQ's for more information, especially regarding children.

 

SUMMER FRUIT HARVEST REPORT:

Starting with our first-ever cherry harvest in June and ending with an unprecendently early French prune harvest, despite the challenges that this year brought, we had a record breaking summer fruit harvest season. 

Typically during the summer, even during a good year, we get luscious, delicious fruit but small and labor intensive compared to citrus, apples, and persimmons.  But this year, we harvested over 17,000 lbs of cherries, apricots, plums and prunes.  We had a great number of groups join in on these harvests totaling 350 volunteers!

The biggest challenge this summer was that the fruit came in at an unprecedented early date and rate and the orchards were very hit and miss due to care and the long Spring causing disease and disrupting pollination.  Scrambling to pull dates up and replanning harvests and trucking because of the seasons being 3-4 weeks early, took a lot of effort by a lot of people.  Thank you to everyone for pitching in and making it happen and especially to Susan Osofsky, Robin Brack, Greg Spadea, Bill Young, Amity Johnson, Kevin Chiang and Manuel Bravo.

 

VILLAGE HARVEST IN THE NEWS:

We have been the recipients of some amazing press articles over the past several months.  Features and covers in several different newspapers and on the radio as well.  Here are a few of the articles in case you missed them. 

Berkeley:  Backyard Bounty Feeds the Hungry, San Francisco Chronicle, Friday, August 26, 2005

Plums Picked to Benefit Food Banks, San Jose Mercury News, Monday, August 1, 2005

Backyard Bounty Doesn't Need To Go To Waste, Los Altos Town Crier, August 17, 2005

Campbell's Bounty, Campbell Reporter, July 20, 2005

 

VILLAGE HARVEST TO DATE:        92,158 lbs!

It's a record breaking year!  We've already harvested more fruit this year than we've ever harvested.  Our previous record was 84,072 lbs in 2003. 

We'd love to exceed 100,000 lbs this year but it's going to take a little bit of help from everyone.  In October, we have volunteers ready to harvest and not much to do while we wait for Persimmon season, so if you see any fruit trees with fruit on them out there, drop off a flyer or have them call (888) FRUIT-411 and we'll be there!

Lastly, for those who have been waiting for news of upcoming harvests, the pear and apple season has been a bust.  So, we've been doing our regular backyard harvests and catching up on other things.  The SHFB team goes out the 2nd & 4th Tuesdays of the month.  The Mt. View team is 1st & 3rd Sundays now.  The Berkeley team is 2nd & 4th Sundays.  If you'd like to be included on any of these distribution lists, contact the folks below and they will add you to the list specific for that team/city.

 

UPCOMING VILLAGE HARVEST EVENTS:

  • Please RSVP for the dates that you're available to help. 
  • Click on the links for a map to the location.
  • In the schedule above, "SHFB" in the schedule below is Second Harvest Food Bank, 750 Curtner Avenue, San Jose.
  • The CIWP team has expanded and is continuing to go out every Tuesday and Thursday.
  • Menlo Park team goes out as convenient for their schedules.  Contact joni@villageharvest.org to join in.
Date / Day Time Event Meeting Place Notes
September 18, Sunday 9:00 am - 12:00 pm Community Fruit Harvesting, Sunnyvale & Los Altos.  Summer Citrus, Apples and Avocados.  Meet 9:00 am, Mt. View CSA Contact karen@villageharvest.org to join in.
September 24, Saturday 9:00 pm - 12:30 pm Harvesting for the Hungry - Apples Contact joni@villageharvest.org to join in Apples in Portola Valley.  The only apple orchard this season.
September 25, Sunday 9:00 am - 12:00 pm Harvesting for the Hungry, Berkeley w/ Spiral Gardens Contact joni@villageharvest.org to join in. If you have friends in Berkeley or Oakland with more than enough fruit on their trees, please let them know that we can help them out now.
September 27, Tuesday 8:30 am - 3:00 pm Community Fruit Harvesting, Willow Glen, Citrus. Meet 8:30 am, SHFB Volunteer Room.  You must RSVP for this event and be registered as a SHFB volunteer
October 2, Sunday 9:00 am - 12:00 pm Community Fruit Harvesting, Mountain View & Los Altos.  Apples and more.   Meet 9:00 am, Mt. View CSA Contact karen@villageharvest.org to join in.
October 9, Sunday 9:00 am - 12:00 pm Harvesting for the Hungry, Berkeley w/ Spiral Gardens Contact joni@villageharvest.org to join in. If you have friends in Berkeley or Oakland with more than enough fruit on their trees, please let them know that we can help them out now.
October 11, Tuesday 8:30 am - 3:00 pm Community Fruit Harvesting, Willow Glen, Citrus. Meet 8:30 am, SHFB Volunteer Room.  You must RSVP for this event and be registered as a SHFB volunteer
October 16, Sunday 9:00 am - 12:00 pm Community Fruit Harvesting, Mountain View & Los Altos.  Apples and more.   Meet 9:00 am, Mt. View CSA Contact karen@villageharvest.org to join in.
October 22, Saturday 9:00 am - 12:00 pm Fruit Tree Pruning Master Class contact joni@villageharvest.org for more info. Master pruning class for experienced fruit tree pruners who want to learn more from each other and from Jean Gomes who had the best apricot orchard this year.
October 23, Sunday 9:00 am - 12:00 pm Harvesting for the Hungry, Berkeley w/ Spiral Gardens Contact joni@villageharvest.org to join in. If you have friends in Berkeley or Oakland with more than enough fruit on their trees, please let them know that we can help them out now.
November 12, Saturday 8:30 am - 12:30 pm Harvesting for the Hungry, Palo Alto w/ Valley of Heart's Delight Meet 8:30am, Foundation for Global Community, 222 High St, Palo Alto. Persimmons!  Save the Date!
November 19, Saturday 8:30am - 12:30pm Harvesting for the Hungry - Persimmons in Santa Cruz Hills Save the Date!
Remember that the best tasting, tree ripened fruit goes home with the volunteers, as it will be too ripe to go through distribution at the various agencies.  Perfect for people who like to make preserves. All dates subject to change based upon ripening and weather.

 

Cheers,
Joni Diserens
Village Harvest
 joni@villageharvest.org
 www.villageharvest.org
(888) FRUIT-411
(650) 740-7725

 

Subscribe / Unsubscribe to this Newsletter:

You have been added to this list because of past participation or interest. Please REPLY to this email to be removed from this distribution list.