This autumn's fruit harvest is the bountiful example of the abundance available to our greater community. Even the vegetables grown at the Land-trust Garden Share across from the MS Library were so plentiful that after gardeners received their share, many bags of fresh food were delivered weekly to the St Anthony's Food Pantry. Gleaning is the act of collecting leftover crops from farmers' fields and orchards after they have been commercially harvested.

Shasta Commons networking meetings are a great place to meet people wanting to help with community projects like gleaning. (The next networking meeting, by the way, will be on Thursday, November 17th at 6:30 PM at the Shasta Yoga Center.) The September Shasta Commons Meeting provided the space to organize and ten+ people signed a gleaning email list while getting acquainted. Our action team was assembled in minutes. We chose dates and times to glean and we even discussed the ideas of free or low cost food distribution. Using the consensus model we chose to deliver free food. We agreed upon an email communication and set the schedule for the week. It was the shortest and most fun "meeting" I ever attended.

Our first gleaning excursion in Mt Shasta - we readied with bags, boxes, raincoats, rakes, ladders and risk assuming forms. We sent off to pre-arranged homes gleaning grapes, blackberries, apples and pears. Throughout the month of October our teams of three or four people met and harvested on seven different occasions: more than 90 pounds of fruit and berries were happily received by the Food Pantry and the Senior Nutrition Center. All gleaners received ample shares as well. We have now gleaned peaches, pears, apples, grapes, walnuts, plucots, plums and cornelian cherries during the last 4 weeks.

When engaging homeowners about their overflowing fruit trees/berry patches, the discussion includes stating that all volunteers assume self responsibility for wellbeing and injury and the owner is not at risk. After owners receive their desired amount, they agree to donate the rest to the gleaners for distribution. Free food is delivered to Food Pantry / Senior Nutrition, the pickers, and friends. Gleaners make efforts to preserve the fruit bearing spur branches and clean under the smaller trees for continual harvest.

Where will this gleaning activity lead? Opportunities for more sharing of this abundant harvest locally in Mt Shasta may include; preserving events, fundraising for an apple press, pruning and maintaining neighborhood trees for future organic abundant harvest. (If anyone has a cider press that they would like to donate for future projects, please give Micah a call.) How do we sustain and support this gleaning activity? Participation may be as easy as calling Micah Dobush at 707-223-4044 to offer your overflow for picking. Or, conversely, if you need fruit, call Micah and offer to help with the gleaning project in order to earn a share of the crop. If you wish to join in this gleaning service you may also visit Shasta Commons meetings and website to connect.

Shasta Commons is the Mount Shasta area's Transition Town initiative, a resource network fostering re-localization and community resilience. Visit http://www.shastacommons.org to get involved.