Local Eats – Urban Agriculture

I have to admit, I think about stealing every day. My neighbors lemons, my other neighbors chard (large colorful leaves I can smell them sauteed with garlic and onions yum!!), and my boyfriend’s mother’s artichokes. This past fall my neighbors actually did steal from me. Well not me personally but the persimmon tree in front of my apartment. Although I felt robbed I didn’t have any use for them (I like the crunchy persimmons). They would have littered the front lawn and sidewalk had it not been for my neighbors. They collected at least 4 to 6 buckets worth of ripe persimmons and even left one for me. With which I made persimmon bread but much like zucchini bread it didn’t seem to taste like anything.

It reminds me of a day two summers ago when I was walking to my local market and I walked by a house where the owner had put out a box of fruit from her trees. There were funny looking purple things (some with dimples), apples and pears. I took home a few purple things, opened one up, smelled bubble gum and quickly researched my new find. Passion fruit! I never had a real passion fruit before so I was really excited! Unfortunately, I have not seen that box of fruit since but I still pass by regularly and stare longingly at the fruit trees. Do I knock on the door? Ask to have more? Is that rude? Does she eat it all? Can she eat it all?

I’m not alone in that thinking. Others also think about raiding their neighbors gardens and fruit trees. Some groups have actually done something about it. Why not create a space where people post where public fruit is ripe and ready, or let others know that their persimmon tree is full and you can’t eat it all? What about taking a couple of bikes and going around town harvesting for others? Donating excess to Seniors or low-income families? That’s what these groups are doing. I’ve complied a list of some of the most known and active organizations. I’m really curious to see if my corner house will share fruit this year. Maybe this year I’ll be able to ask.

Communities that are already practicing backyard harvesting / sharing:

North Berkeley Harvest

Forage Oakland

Forage Berkeley

People United for a Better Life in Oakland

Village Harvest

p.s. If you live in Mtn. View, Palo Alto, Menlo Park or Portola Valley and have produce/fruit trees/eggs you always have too much of…please contact me.

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http://www.peopleunited.org/uyh/

Eat Local Monthly Produce Guide – update

What an adventure this has been.  I launched the Eat Local Monthly Produce Guide in January.  Eating local and supporting our local farmers is very important to me.  Apparently others see the need for a tool like this too because the Guides are now selling in local grocery stores, online and at a local farmer’s market.

The Guide is just that, a guide.  Not a rule book.  Use it to help you with produce decision making – “is this carton of strawberries really in season? Am I overpaying for something that isn’t going to taste as flavorful as it would in season?  Has it traveled long distances requiring early picking and unnatural ripening techniques?”  I’ve actually use mine daily not only to  continue to quality check my work but to answer my own produce seasonality questions.

I’m still working on putting my website together but the low cost of the guides makes an online store a bit expensive.  For now they are available online at Capay Valley Farm Shop as an add on purchase for current CSA subscription buyers, in stores at The Milk Pail Market in Mountain View, and at Country Sun in Palo Alto.  Special thank you to Elena at Country Sun for providing valuable feedback on the Eat Local Monthly Produce Guide.  If you still would like one but those two locations are not near by please contact me.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.