Document text
3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Herb Rothschild Jr.: More about animals ... Ashland School District hopes to break ground on Phillips Field project in July ... Our View: Support Mt. Ashland ... Herb Rothschild Jr.: More about animals ... Ashland School District hopes to break ground on Phillips Field project in July ... Our View: Support Mt. Ashland ... VOLUNTEERS Ashland neighborhood harvest helps many Pickers, homeowners, food pantries share in bounty Comment By John Darling for the Tidings DailyTidings.com By John Darling for the Tidings Posted Jun. 19, 2015 at 12:01 AM By John Darling for the Tidings Posted Jun. 19, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News Harvesting of normally wasted fruit began Wednesday as volunteers for Neighborhood Harvest Ashland set up ladders and picked ripe Rainier cherries hanging from two trees on Tudor Street. The fruit is divided equally between the homeowner, harvesters and the Ashland Emergency Food Bank or Food Angels, says coordinator Karen Taylor. “It’s a really great opportunity to spend a lot of time around town, seeing all the trees loaded with fruit and getting it to the Food Bank,” says picker Shantrin Lininger. “It’s a really nice feeling that I’m helping feed the elderly and disabled, too.” The two trees would provide about 70 pounds of cherries in a good year, said Ann Eldridge, and this will be a good year for fruit, as trees recover from the severe freeze of December 2013. Over 200 volunteer pickers are on NHA and are reached by an email listserv, with the first five or so responding and told when and where to meet for picking. The list is linked from https://neighborhoodharvestashland.wordpress.com. “It’s nice that not a lot of this fruit goes to waste, says picker Peggy Elterman. “It’s a treasure and it’s wonderful to share it. Me, I eat it, freeze some and savor it all.” Veteran picker Eldridge knows all the good spots and the organization spends a lot of time getting volunteers to canvass neighborhoods, register good trees and assign pickers to them. Although fruit trees are all over town — many in alleys — the best spots, she says, are above the hospital and off Siskiyou Boulevard near Walker Street. “Apples, pear and plum just rot if we don’t get to them,” she says. “Apples last year were just amazing. I got 400 pounds to squeeze and make balsamic vinegar with. You can do that with cherries, figs and all kinds of berries… . I love the whole idea of getting food from trees that have been forgotten. They were planted by people years ago, but then they moved away or got old and can’t harvest it.” Coordinator Karen Taylor notes that neighborhood harvesting serves as a way to meet people and interact while picking.  “You have a common interest and share stories,” says Taylor. “You’re preventing waste of good food and helping the Food Bank. People live very busy lives and often having fruit trees is great but can get overwhelming, what with the amount of fruit. Or they planted it and don’t have the strength to harvest. We saw a need to help out people having a hard time and to feed others.” The program was organized five years ago by Josh Shupack, who later moved to Bellingham, Wash., and has set up a similar program there. Now it’s run in Ashland by Taylor and Elizabeth Toby. Volunteers may call Karen Taylor at 541-708-1807. John Darling is an Ashland freelance writer. Reach him at [email protected]. By John Darling for the Tidings DailyTidings.com By John Darling for the Tidings Posted Jun. 19, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. DailyTidings.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501