VILLAGE HARVEST Volunteer Newsletter, June 19, 2003

In this issue: (click item to jump to that section):

• Harvesting Summer Orchards
• VH Project Lead Orientation
• Celebration in an Orchard - Results!
• Village Harvest to Date
• Upcoming Village Harvest Event Schedule
• Newsletter Unsubscribe/Subscribe

HARVESTING SUMMER ORCHARDS:

Summer fruit time... one of the best times of the year. We have many more orchards that have been offered to be harvested for the hungry than last year so there's the potential for many tons of fruit if we can get to it. We've been lining up equipment and supplies, NOW ALL THAT'S REQUIRED IS YOUR HELP. Please RSVP for the dates you can join us.

• SATURDAY, JUNE 28th Santa Rosa Plums in Los Gatos (40 trees) 8:00am - 12:30pm
  Meet at Second Harvest Food Bank, 750 Curtner Avenue, San Jose to carpool
• SATURDAY, JULY 12th, Apricots in Guadalupe Park (50 trees) 8:30am - 12:30pm
  Meet at the Historic Orchard in Guadalupe Park.  Click here for map.
• SATURDAY, AUGUST 16th, French Plums (location TBD) 8:30am - 12:30pm
  Great event for families and children.
• TUESDAY, AUGUST 19th, French Plums in Guadalupe Park (50 trees) 08:15am - 2:30pm.
  Lunch provided.  Meet at the Historic Orchard in Guadalupe Park.  Click here for map. 
  Great event for families and children.

AND MORE TO COME... 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 Second Harvest Food Bank. Perfect for people who like to make preserves. All dates subject to change based upon ripening and weather.

Instructions for harvesting volunteers:

• Dress in layers with long sleeves and comfortable shoes... Long sleeves are to protect your arms from branches. Bring gloves and hand pruners if you prefer to use them.
• Be prepared to drive or carpool... If you have a large car or truck, it's always appreciated
• Feel free to bring a bag to take home fruit for yourself. Tree ripened fruit from Santa Clara Valley... it doesn't get any better than this!

VH PROJECT LEAD ORIENTATION: JUNE 24th

• How do we harvest plums efficiently?
• How do we use and operate all the new/different equipment that's been coming in?
• Why are there so many (*&#$% forms?

Team leaders are very much needed for all the upcoming summer events. Those in attendance at this quick orientation will have all the basics necessary to lead upcoming summer events. Come and see all the new "toys" that we have for this summer harvesting season and get your burning questions about gleaning and Food Bank procedure answered.

Date: Tuesday, June 24th, 12 noon - 2:00pm.  
Place: SHFB Conference Room, 1st floor, near main entrance, 750 Curtner Avenue, San Jose. 

We will have a short backyard gleaning project in the morning, then return for lunch and a quick orientation. It will be informal and fun!

CELEBRATION IN AN ORCHARD - RESULTS!

A couple of weeks ago, we had a celebration at Guadalupe Historic Orchard to celebrate reaching as many pounds this year to date as we did all last year.

Contest Answers & Winners:
Record tree:              1,322 lbs!          3) Al Wilhelm   2) Chris Nuñez      1) Amaro Villarreal
Total weight to date: 37,699 lbs!          3) Jamie          2) Amaro Villarreal 1) Lili Wui

Thank you to everyone who helped to make our celebration possible: Carolyn Norris for providing the jam bar and cookies, Al Wilhelm for getting the balloons and setting up the direction signs, Manuel Bravo of Second Harvest Food Bank for providing the drinks and t-shirts+ for prizes, Holly Hayes of the Mercury News Plant-a-Row program for providing t-shirts for prizes, Kathleen Muller and Lucy Perez who arranged use of the park and facilities and the Friends of Guadalupe Park Docents who took us on such a wonderful tour of the park.

VILLAGE HARVEST TO DATE:  44,201 lbs!

Our celebration was a few weeks ago and we've been pretty busy since. What are we harvesting? Still citrus but that won't be for long. Santa Rosa Plums and Apricots will soon be in.

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 Monday.

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.