Commercial orchards leave imperfect fruit on the tree
In orchards and fields around the world, thousands of pounds of produce go unharvested every year.
Solution: Recruit volunteers to pick leftover fruit for nearby food bank
Before the frost hits Spokane each year, hundreds of volunteers pick thousands of pounds of apples for the food bank, where they can be distributed locally or traded with other food pantries around the country.
The the Spokane Edible Tree Project, led by Kate Burke, seeks to expand operations from commercial orchards to the backyards of local residents as well.
“This is a really solid program. These orchards are just such an awesome resource for our community.”
Gleaning is an easy grassroots project for any community. If every town across the country harvested surplus fruit for its food banks, there would be no shortage of nutritious fruit for the hungry.
Read More:
- The Spokesman-Review | Volunteer’s efforts bear fruit for community’s hungry
