Walla Walla Gleaners

Back in July, I joined a local organization called the Walla Walla Gleaners. This is a volunteer-run organization which coordinates gleaning of fruit and vegetables from local individuals and farmers. The idea is to create less food waste and to help those in need as well. Much of what is gleaned is donated to local food banks to help the less fortunate.

To be a member, you pay $40/year and this entitles you to go on gleans with other members of the organization. What you pick is entirely dependent on what is offered. It varies year by year depending on availability. Also as a member you are asked to donate at least four hours of time/month. And, the benefit is getting to take home the majority of what you pick. If you don't want everything you pick you can donate it. And there are some gleans where they establish up front if there is a certain percentage of what is picked that is supposed to be donated. But other gleans you get to take everything you pick.

I took full advantage of being a member and went on as many gleans as I possibly could. I came home with cherries, plums, apples, corn, pears, and more. I went into full food preservation mode, canning and freezing everything I could. In addition to what I picked on the gleans, I also did u-pick blueberries and peaches, and we have an apricot tree and an apple tree in our own yard. I don't honestly know how much food I preserved this year for use during the cold months to come, but it was a lot! I am so excited to be able to enjoy these things! I will definitely be joining the Gleaners again next year as I came out way ahead of my $40 investment and few hours of time. :)

This picture is the start of some of my canning this summer. Pictured here are cherries (Bing and Ranier), Apricots, Apricot Sauce, Peaches, Strawberry Jam, and Plum Jam. The pantry filled up even more as the months went by. Yummy!