Imagine 10,000 pounds of apples, plums, and pears lying on the ground or going into yard waste bins all over Seattle. While perhaps good organic fertilizer, wouldn’t you rather see those pounds going to feed thousands of hungry people? An inventive food distribution program of Solid Ground called Community Fruit Tree Harvest engages volunteers in the collection of fruit from local trees. A seemingly simple concept, but last year this program connected those 10,000 pounds of apples, plums, and pears from Seattle fruit trees to low-income Seattleites through local food banks. When food banks can hardly keep food—let alone fresh produce—on the shelves, it seems unthinkable to imagine that this nutritious food would not meet hungry mouths.
I think this is indicative of the backwardnessof our fast-paced, wasteful consumer culture and in many ways of current food crisis. People are willing to let perfectly edible food go uneaten instead of canning, freezing, or giving it to neighbors. While neglecting food may be for a variety of legitimate reasons (including lack of knowledge passed down about how to preserve it), I do not believe such neglect would have been conceivable in my grandparent’s days or even for my parents, who collect every apple possible from their trees and turn it into food (or give it away). Healthy (virtually free) food is precious—and Community Fruit Tree Harvest is making this connection for hungry people. Outstanding, community-supported programs such as this go a long way (albeit slowly) in making healthy food available for community members in the most need, while also drawing attention to the fact that there are many fruit trees and produce that is available on public lands and that grows independent of human action—this is all available for the eating. An June article in the Seattle PI highlights this program and related food issues: "Growing in Seattle: Food aid from the home front" 
No comments:
Post a Comment