PORT ANGELES — Clallam County Gleaners need help.
The group has plenty of volunteers but is looking for more fruit trees and produce to glean to reach its goal of collecting 45,000 pounds of produce, said Juliann Finn, food recovery program coordinator for the Clallam County Washington State University Extension Office.
The goal is to preserve local food that would otherwise spoil and distribute it to the community through food pantries and meal sites.
“Last year, there was an overabundance everywhere, and food banks weren’t able to use all the produce,” Finn said. “This year, we have a little of the opposite problem: lots of volunteers and less fruit.”
Trees didn’t seem to produce as much fruit this year as the preceding year, and volunteers haven’t been able to harvest as much as they would like, she said.
She said gleaners are still looking to reach a goal of 45,000 pounds of produce.
In partnership with WSU’s Karlena Brailey, nutrition and physical activity coordinator, the Clallam County Gleaners volunteer group will harvest apples from local orchards and homeowners who call in to the WSU Extension office.
Excess apples that the Port Angeles Food Bank cannot use will be used to make applesauce with a motorized food mill donated by the Port Angeles Garden Club.
Last year, volunteers made 50 gallons of applesauce at the Lower Elwha Heritage Center to preserve food that would otherwise go bad.
Applesauce processing events will be held by the Port Angeles Senior &Community Center and by the Feeding 5000 group in Forks weekly starting today.
The applesauce-making events in Forks will be at Forks Athletic &Aquatic Club, 91 Maple Ave., from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Thursday this month.
The events in Port Angeles will be at the Port Angeles Senior &Community Center from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sept. 18, Sept. 25, Oct. 2 and Oct. 9.
“Preserving our local abundance utilizes a skill that builds up community food security and provides a value-added product that is a better fit for community needs,” Brailey said. “Applesauce is a product that appeals to a wide audience and works around the limited storage for fresh produce.”
Fruit tree owners can contact the WSU Extension Office at 360-417-2279 or email Finn at jfinn@co.clallam.wa.us to share fruit to be gleaned.
________
Reporter Jesse Major can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56250, or at jmajor@peninsuladailynews.com.
The Clallam County Washington State University Extension Office is asking people who have extra produce that needs gleaning to give them a call. The gleaning program redistributes food that would otherwise spoil back into the community. (Jesse Major/Peninsula Daily News)
