Gleaning with The Urban Farmers – Aug 16


Tuesday, August 16, 2016 (7:00 – 8:00 PM)
Rhythmix Cultural Works, 2513 Blanding Ave, Alameda

Each year, thousands of pounds of fruit rot on backyard fruit trees, while many Americans go hungry.  It’s not that fruit tree owners don’t want to share. The problem is one of coordination.  How do we get the fruit from trees to people who need the food—and do it efficiently?

Gleaning, the act of collecting leftover crops for the needy, is an ancient idea.  In modern times, individuals and communities have organized groups, large and small, to move freshly harvested excess food from donors to those who need it. The Urban Farmers is a grassroots gleaning organization based in Contra Costa County.  Like ABG’s Project Pick, The Urban Farmers gleans backyard fruit trees, donates the excess fruit to the needy, works to broaden understanding of issues related to food and hunger, and builds community. The Urban Farmers much larger than ABG, and uses different gleaning strategies.  Come learn why gleaning is important and how it can help address food insecurity in our community, and talk about how to do gleaning most efficiently and effectively.

About our speaker: The Urban Farmers is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) non-profit organization located in Lafayette, CA, that harvests excess backyard fruit, primarily in Contra Costa County.  Their goal is to build a community-based, cost-effective and environmentally sustainable model of hunger relief.  In 2015, over 1,000 volunteers from The Urban Farmers helped harvest 147,000 pounds of fruit from over 1,400 trees.

Save the Dates! Note changes in days and times!

Starting August 2016 ABG meetings are held on the third Tuesday of every month from 7:00 to 8:00 pm at Rhythmix Cultural Works (unless otherwise noted). Please check our web site for updates and details.

September 20 – Container Gardening with Jennifer McGaffey

October 18 Seed Saving with Irene Beebe, Alameda County Master Gardener