Giving trees: East Bay backyard orchards are a mutual aid lifeline

"On the side of this bungalow in Oakland, is a tall, slim apple tree bearing a lot of fruit, but half of the apples were growing over the roof. For the next hour, the four people donning aprons use long poles pickers with claw-like metal cages at the top to help grab fruit to glean as much as they could."

"The East Bay has an abundance of fruit trees, much of it in people's yards. And each year, many household trees bear too much for one family to consume. This year, with recent cuts and pauses to SNAP and CalFresh benefits, the need to collect and channel that bounty to those in need around the East Bay has become even more acute."

"As the cost of groceries continues to increase, more families are feeling an economic squeeze; food insecurity in the U.S. is on the rise, while reducing food waste is an ongoing battle. Gleaning information Alameda Backyard Growers Gleaning Guide Volunteer Safety Video Meet the gleaners of Oakland and Alameda, who are attempting to alleviate some of these problems. There are currently two main groups in the area, both volunteer-run efforts to get ripe fruit to the right hands, mouths, and bellies."

Volunteers harvest surplus fruit from backyard trees in Oakland and Alameda using long poles and claw-like pickers to salvage produce for distribution. Homeowners often invite gleaners to take and share excess fruit. The East Bay has many fruit trees that annually yield more than single households can consume. Recent cuts and pauses to SNAP and CalFresh benefits, combined with rising grocery costs, have increased need for redistributed produce. Two main volunteer-run groups organize gleaning and distribution. The Oakland Gleaners were founded in 2019; additional leaders joined in 2023 and 2024 to expand efforts.

Read at www.berkeleyside.org