Bellingham Gleaning Network

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End of season harvest projects -espeically summer fruit - Gathering the troops and supplies and venturing into the land of falling fruit to collect and process for preservation and storage as well as a crisp or two for the evening's celebrations!

Location: Bellingham
Members: 50
Latest Activity: Jan 29, 2023

2 members like this

Info

The vision for this group is to be in the flow of the season, anticipating the appropriate gleaning time for the various fruits of this abundant Bellingham, in order to be ready to take advantage of what nature provides freely. These projects could easily evolve into a community cottage industry based on integrity and barter, where tedious work is made efficient and social by working together as a community. Not everyone needs to own a cider press, or all the canning equipment necessary to make jam, so we will utilize Share to Build, Craigslist, and connections on the grape vine to coordinate fruit trees, supplies, and people to make it happen this season. There will also likely be a end-of-the-year harvest bartering festival early in October to celebrate and exchange the goods.

Please read my blog post, which may give you an idea of my inspiration and passion for starting this group.
https://transitionwhatcom.ning.com/profiles/blogs/harvest-a-creative-essay-by
I also ran across this blog, that I really resonated with. Enjoy!
http://www.livinginseason.com/food-drink/good-enough-to-wait/

Related Groups:

Earth Gardens: Edible-Medicinal-Wild Habitats:

https://transitionwhatcom.ning.com/group/organic

Center for Local Self Reliance
http://www.caretakershouse.org/

Small Scale Food & Gardening
https://transitionwhatcom.ning.com/group/subgroupfoodnotlawnsgroupsoontoberenamed

Discussion Forum

Tags: urban, gleaning, fruits, calendar, seasonal

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Comment by Jason Styles on May 5, 2010 at 8:28pm: This sounds like fun!

Comment by Christie Cassel on May 5, 2010 at 7:54pm: The event page is up! Please RSVP:
http://transitionwhatcom.ning.com/events/urban-gleaning-first-meeting

Comment by Christie Cassel on May 5, 2010 at 11:37am: Our first meeting is going to be next Thursday May 13th at 6 p.m. at Tracy's 800 N. Garden. I created an event - it's awaiting approval - you'll see it soon. Hope everyone can make it!

Comment by Christie Cassel on May 3, 2010 at 10:49pm: Ooooh goodie. Sounds fabulous! We'll have to talk. I'm trying to firm up a first meeting date for sometime in like 2 weeks. I hope you can make it!

Comment by Luke Swanson on May 3, 2010 at 6:24pm: Hi guys,
I'm actually working on the fruit tree mapping project with a group from western (Community Based Environmental Education Class). We are aiming to have a site up i a few weeks that will be interactive and allow people to log their own trees. Then, towards the end of may, we're going to start putting up posters that we are designing. We will also probably be tabling at the Co-op and farmers market. The project had been designed to work alongside the Small Potatoes Gleaning Project but we aren't sure that is going to work right now; so we are proceeding on our own.

Comment by Christie Cassel on April 30, 2010 at 11:05am: I have been talking to everyone I know and see about this project lately, and people often ask, well isn't there already other gleaning groups in Bellingham? So I thought I'd post my response In defense of starting my own group. Small potatoes feeds the foodbank, which isn't my goal. Nothing against the foodbank, but that just isn't my vision. They already have plenty of volunteers and support. The Urban Gleaning Project is more about the direct connection to the trees and the people that own them (of applicable) and follwing through with the rest of the process. We're talking end of the season - fruit that needs to go into preservation mode immediately and wouldn't survive a day in a food bank box. We'll likely split into smaller groups for various projects that people want to do - jam making, canning, drying, freezing. One group could also make several crisps and pies for a Transition Whatcom potluck or other common interest group. Or if people want to just bring home what they picked, that is fine too. The Caretakers House is another possibility for a kitchen host for a large group. The Center for Local Self Reliance is a more likely partner than Small Potatoes, even though they will notify us if they score on something too large for them to handle - we could come in for the 2nd seconds... We need to discuss all of these things at our first meeting, which will likely be our only formal meeting, so I would really like more feedback on if May 11th 7p.m. works for the majority or not, so I can make the event concrete. Thanks!

Comment by Christie Cassel on April 30, 2010 at 10:54am: The Whatcom Food Project is currently working on fruit tree mapping for Whatcom County. It is a long-term project aiming for high goals. They will be using GIS technology and collecting data for years it looks like. The Urban Gleaning Project will be doing "mapping" as well, on an old-school level of what is neccessary for this season. It will probably look more like a contact list grouped into neighborhoods. It will evolve in an organic way - from inside out - not top-down - no micromanagement here. More about balancing planning and spontaneity at the first meeting.

Comment by Christie Cassel on April 30, 2010 at 12:29am: Ooooh. Silly me. I get it! Cannot attend Tuesday because I have class all day. Is two hours after the 10-5 event pushing it? Yeah, probably. So when? Monday is Larry Korn, Wednesday is The Madrona Series. Thursdays is Go Club at The Public Market, and Friday is no day to have a meeting. So change location for a Thursday meeting? Thoughts?

Comment by Christie Cassel on April 30, 2010 at 12:11am: Oooh solar food dryers - wonderful idea. I'm definitely attending Larry Korn's presentation on the 10th, but I don't see any other Transition Whatcom events for May 11th, 7 p.m. Is Larry Korn doing some secret special un-listed private dinner party that I don't know about? LOL. Heather K, I really wish you could come to the first gleaning meeting. There probably won't be many formal meetings from here on out - we'll basically be discussing/planning while we're working, and of course the unavoidable on-line correspondence, etc., but it's not like we'll be having weekly meetings or anything. The first meeting is crucial. Can you suggest an alternate time? Thanks!