Fruit Harvesting

In the Alberni Valley

The program was initiated by Port Alberni Friendship Center and

Alberni Valley Bear Smart

Port Alberni Friendship Center Preserving Food for

Future Wellness.

To increase the capacity of local community members to become self sufficient in food knowledge, collection and preservation through a traditional approach.

Alberni Valley Bear Smart

AVBS is a bear stewardship committee delivering Bear Safety and Attractant Management information to the public with the goal of human-bear conflict reduction.

In cooperation with: Conservation Officer Service

Port Alberni City Council Alberni Clayoquot Regional District

West Coast Woman’s Wellness Collective Cool Waters

Fruit Harvesting or Gleaning.

What has it meant in the past?

Gleaning is the act of collecting leftover crops from farmers' fields after they have been commercially harvested or on fields where it is not economically profitable to harvest. Some ancient cultures promoted gleaning as an early form of a welfare system.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Gleaners

Léon Augustin Lhermitte 8)

Fruit Harvesting or Gleaning.

What does it mean today?

In the modern world, gleaning is practiced by humanitarian groups which distribute the gleaned food to the poor and hungry; in a modern context, this can include the collection of food from supermarkets at the end of the day that would otherwise be thrown away. There are a number of organizations that practice gleaning to resolve issues of societal hunger.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

About the project

The Alberni Valley area has many fruit trees. Each year there is a significant amount of surplus produce that goes to waste. To address this waste of quality produce we wish to launch the Fruit Tree Harvesting Program.

Other community’s gleaning projects: 16 tonnes of apples picked for

families TIMES COLONIST NOVEMBER 19, 2011

A homegrown project in which

volunteers in Victoria pick surplus apples from backyards has gathered 16 tonnes of fruit for needy families this year. "It's been excellent from our end, such great support from the community with 190 volunteers," said Stefan Morales.

A Fruit Tree Harvesting Program

• Will allow us to effectively manage the second highest bear attractant in the community which is our fruit trees

Neighbourhood Bears

• We expect that we have

generations of bears coming

to the very same fruit trees

in our neighbourhoods each

season, knowing exactly

when each fruit tree ripens!

Bears becoming human-habituated

• Our fear is that one day we may have human-bear conflict that results in the death of a citizen.

• We know that each year Conservation Officers need to kill bears because they have become human-habituated from eating our fruit.

How the program will work

Alberni Valley Bear Smart will coordinate community fruit harvesting.

How the program will work

The Friendship Center will process and preserve the fruit for distribution to their worthy partner organizations. The West Coast Woman’s Wellness Collective for women recovering from depression, addiction or other challenges and Cool Waters a 20 unit non-profit affordable housing complex for a diverse mix of lower income singles.

• Preserving, West Coast Women’s Wellness Collective, and Cool Waters

• Alberni Valley Bear Smart - Fruit Tree Harvesting Coordinator

• Preserving, West Coast Women’s Wellness Collective, and Cool Waters

• Alberni Valley Bear Smart - Fruit Tree Harvesting Coordinator

Database of property owners

Database of fruit tree

harvesters

Processing and delivery of fruit/fruit

products

Harvesting Co-

ordination

Busy fruit months are Aug, Sep & Oct

• Jan apples • Feb apples • Mar apples, fruit trees • Apr fruit trees • May fruit trees • June • Jul apples • Aug apples, peaches, pears, plums, crab apples, figs • Sep apples, peaches, pears, plums, crab applies, figs • Oct apples, pears, crab apples • Nov apples • Dec apples

Start Up Requirements

Personnel Requirements:

– Fruit Tree Harvesting Coordinator

– Pick Leaders

– Fruit Harvesters

Start Up Requirements

Community

Assistance:

-Homeowners willing to have their fruit trees harvested

Start Up Requirements

Tool Requirements:

-Ladders

-Rakes

-Picking bins

-First aid kit

-Scale

Start Up Requirements

Vehicle Requirements: -Fruit Harvesters will car

pool or use their own vehicles for transport to and from the pick site

-Regional District/Community Gardens truck to transport ladders and tools

Start Up Requirements

Alberni Clayoquot Regional District and the City

of Port Alberni Assistance:

-Meeting location at the parking lot of the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District office

-Link on ACRD site for Fruit Harvesting contact numbers and information

Start Up Requirements

Alberni Clayoquot Regional District and the City

of Port Alberni Assistance: -Toll free number and answering service to

contact Landowners and Fruit Harvesters -Office space for Fruit Harvesting Coordinator to

input contacts into data base of property owners, linking into the Fruit Tree Harvester data base and coordinating Pick Leaders and fruit harvesting

Start Up Requirements

Conservation Officer Service Assistance:

-Liaising with the Fruit Harvesting Coordinator to prioritize ‘hot spots’ of high bear activity

Start Up Requirements

Port Alberni Friendship

Center Assistance:

-Fridge and freezer for

surplus produce

-Storage for ladders,

rakes, picking bins,

first aid kit, and scale

Start Up Requirements

Preserving for the Future,

West Coast Women’s Wellness Collective and Cool Waters Assistance:

-Data base of

Fruit Harvesters

-Processing and delivery

of fruit and fruit products