Fruit: to have, to hold and to harvest. With so much warm, dry weather this season many gardeners have noticed rather early pickings.
Skookum Food Provisioners’ Cooperative, whose members grow, gather and glean Powell River’s bounty, have been hard at work harvesting fruit.
“Everything has ripened in waves,” said Ron Berezan, one of the cooperative’s members. “There was a lot going on when there were cherries, now we are into apples and pears.”
Skookum pickers volunteer their time harvesting fruit when families or individuals are unable to, often donating the bounty to local charities.
“It definitely has been a big year for fruit,” said Berezan. “I expect there will be more and more in the coming weeks.”
Deanna Parsley, secretary for the cooperative, estimates the group has about 45 volunteer pickers. “We are learning how many people in the community are trying to save food, and we are networking to help each other,” she said.
Property owners with too much fruit can call Skookum and offer the whole harvest, or ask to retain a portion for themselves.
“People don’t have to do all the work themselves,” said Parsley. “Many hands make light work.”
For more information, or to volunteer, readers can visit online or call 604.485.7940.
