Good Things Start with Little Ideas...

It's mid October and the leaves are falling off the trees throughout Central Oregon. The only problem is that leaves are not the only thing toppling from the tree tops. Everywhere I go I see wasted fruit laying in people's yards, in the gutters, on the sidewalks. It's a little nagging issue that bothered me last year but I didn't really fully process why.

Kris (my husband) and I were talking about the fruit that is wasted around the United States recently due to my latest plum windfall. It is a shame that people go hungry in our community and yet this waste occurs. He had the idea of starting an Urban Farmer Association. People could participate in three different ways:

1. 
   Donating Food to Preserve - Homeowners who have a tree loaded with fruit every year but don't want to mess with the process of preserving it can donate the fruit to the association and receive a gift of canned fruit. Land owners can also dedicate lots and water usage to create garden opportunities.
2. 
   Donating Harvest Labor - A group of people willing to pick and sort fruit from said trees around town on "harvest dates". They can take home half of everything they pick. Also people who are willing to tend a garden space.
3. 
   Canning and Preserving Team - This group washes and preserves the food picked. They put together "gift baskets" for the homeowners and then divide up the rest of the food amongst themselves to take home.

People from all walks of society would be encouraged to participate. Those who have an interest in reviving the lost heritage of preserving their own food will be able to learn about a variety of preserving methods in just a few days. Those who are looking for a free food source will be able to work towards taking home extra food. We can even give fliers to the food bank to hand out. Those who are simply interested in getting rid of some of that fruit that falls around their house each year will be able to do so. Those who wish could be involved on all three levels.


If we can create a working model in Bend, perhaps it could be duplicated in communities throughout the country. It seems like a great way to share a heritage, be environmentally responsible, and distribute a wealth of otherwise wasted food to those who will use it! In this economic climate, it is terrible to waste readily available resources.


If you live in Central Oregon and would be interested in joining this emerging group, send me your email address and we'll get organized! If you live somewhere else and would like to start a local chapter of the Urban Farmer Association, we'll figure out how to do that too...