Additionally there was a brief article in the July 18 Home and Garden section of the Mercury News on our preserves and the tasting and fruit tree clinic at Common Ground. As a result, we had a great turn out. Taste tester's favorite? Wild Plum Jam! This was a surprise find in an orchard which made a surprisingly good jam full of plum and berry flavors with just a little tartness to balance.
Common Ground is now carrying our Wild Plum Jam but not for long -- we found just one tree. If you'd like to try, visit there soon or order off our web site.
Wow! The Palo Alto Harvesting for the Hungry event pulled in 1,986 lbs and put us over the 50,000 lbs mark. Congratulations! you did it!
With these types of numbers, some people have been asking what we will do with all the fruit after we're done feeding the hungry? As much as has been accomplished, we're far from fulfilling the needs of the hungry in our own community. Second Harvest Food Bank is feeding 196,000 people monthly, largely seniors and children. If a serving of fruit is 4 ounces... all those folks have gotten one serving of fruit from us. We're making a dent but have a ways to go.
The good news is that the food is out there, growing already, we all just need to pitch in to put it to good use.
The really long, cool Spring is having a great effect on the ripening of the Fall fruit. We would typically be busy harvesting apples this time of year but they are far from ready -- perhaps a month behind? perhaps they may all fall due to heat stress?
The cool spring also affected the French Plums. They are also running behind although the hot weather is doing it's best to help the season catch up. A daughter of a French Plum farmer once told me that her father sat on the school board and only let school start after the French Plum harvest was done. We'd have a lot of happy children this year!
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.
| Date / Day | Time | Event | Meeting Place | Notes |
| August 12, Tuesday | 8:15 am - 2:30 pm | Community Fruit Harvesting in Palo Alto. Pears and Apples. | Cancelled! | Pears and Apples are still not ready, even the Gravensteins. Stay tuned. |
| August 12, Tuesday | 8:30 am - 12:00 pm | Harvesting Equipment building, cleaning and check | Meet 8:15 am, SHFB Volunteer Room | We'll be building tree shakers for the French Plum orchards, cleaning trucks and equipment and other equipment repair as necessary. |
| August 19, Tuesday | 8:15 am - 2:00 pm | Community Fruit Harvesting in Campbell/Saratoga. Apples and Citrus. | Meet 8:15 am, SHFB Volunteer Room |
Lunch
provided. Partner & Recipient: Second Harvest Food Bank |
| August 23, Saturday | 8:30 am - 12:30 pm | French Plum Orchard at 5600 Cottle Road | 5600 Cottle Road, Gate 0 Follow signs around to the back near Hwy 85 |
Partners: a large hi-tech company Partner & Recipient: Second Harvest Food Bank |
| August 26, Tuesday | 8:30 am - 12:30 pm | French Plum Orchard at Guadalupe Historic Orchard | Meet 8:30am, Guadalupe Historic Orchard | Partners: Friends of Guadalupe River Park & Gardens, Second Harvest Food Bank Recipient: Second Harvest Food Bank |
| September 2, Tuesday | 8:15 am - 1:30 pm | French Plum Orchard in Almaden Valley - tentative | Meet 8:15 am, SHFB Volunteer Room |
Lunch provided. Partners: Alamden Valley Boy Scouts Partner & Recipient: Second Harvest Food Bank |
| September 9, Tuesday | 8:15 am - 2:00 pm | Community Fruit Harvesting, location TBD. Apples and Citrus | Meet 8:15 am, SHFB Volunteer Room | Lunch
provided. Partner & Recipient: Second Harvest Food Bank |
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