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What's in season? Apples, persimmons (soon), ... and pumpkins! Over the past month Village Harvest volunteers enjoyed fun and productive apple harvests at heritage orchards and home gardens, picking a total 3,200 pounds of apples for people in need in the community. As apple season winds down we're arranging one more home apple harvest; join us for the fun and the satisfaction of helping others receive healthy fruit that would otherwise go to waste:
Submit sign up requests through the Events calendar; there are 12 spaces available. (maximum of 2 per party, minimum age 12 with their parent
We'll keep the event open on the calendar for 24 hours so everyone has a chance to submit a request, and we generally give priority to people who haven't been able to get into a harvest recently. (see Volunteer FAQ) We're also looking forward to an abundant persimmon season, but it's too early to know exactly when the fruit will be ready to pick. We plan to announce persimmon events later to begin around the end of October or early November. And, no surprise, it's also pumpkin season! Our friends at 100pumpkins.org are working with local farmers to recover the season's extra pumpkins to share with neighbors in need. Yes, pumpkins are edible and nutritious like other winter squash! They need your help and volunteer spirit to harvest pumpkins; please visit 100pumpkins.org to sign up for their events planned for Pescadero and Portola Valley. The top photo shows volunteers at the September 20 harvest of two small orchards in the hills above Los Gatos, and enjoy a few photos below from the September 27 harvest at the historic Stevens Canyon Ranch orchard outside Cupertino. (Don't miss the photo of the Speakeasy painted doors from the Prohibition era, when visitors were not coming for apples.)  Finally, I want to recognize and thank two long-serving Village Harvest volunteers for their quiet but meaningful act of service for 16 years.Since 2009 Joan Ferguson and Craig Ulrich have been picking up surplus summer produce grown at the historic Flloli estate in Woodside and delivering it to food agencies on the Peninsula, many thousands of pounds over the years. Filoli wasn't able to do this themselves, and Joan and Craig have shared their time and talents to make it possible. The colorful photo shows one recent haul. Craig Diserens Executive Director craig@villageharvest.org Stevens Canyon Apple HarvestThe historic Stevens Canyon Ranch is outside Cupertino in a hidden valley, with apple and pear trees planted around 120 years ago. They're still producing - amazing! The property is now owned and protected by the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District.
At the apple harvest on Saturday September 27, 19 volunteers enjoyed this scenic orchard and picked more than 700 pounds of heirloom Rhode Island Greening apples which were donated to West Valley Community Services in Cupertino and Martha's Kitchen in San Jose. The apples are truly a legacy of the past benefiting people today. (Thanks to harvest leader Jane Arena for the photos.) 120 year old trees before the harvest  Volunteers in action. The trees are "pruned" by the deer with no hand reachable fruit, and require ladders and poles to pick.  Volunteers in front of the "Painted Ladies" doors of the farmhouse cellar, a Speakeasy during Prohibition  Upcoming Harvest ScheduleTo volunteer for any harvest, please visit the Events calendar online to see all details and the current availability for each harvest, then click the link within each calendar entry to sign up. Most harvests are 3 1/2 hours long.
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