Gleaning Fruit in Pendleton
Early summer is my favorite season in Pendleton, and it’s all about the gleaning. We moved to Pendleton in the spring of 2021, and by early June we noticed a plethora of cherry trees on the North Hill literally ripe for the picking.
Brief inquiry revealed that about half the homeowners responsible for the trees didn’t have time to harvest their cherries, and were happy to have us take as many as we liked.
“If you don’t take ‘em the birds will, and they’ll make a mess,” one homeowner told us.
We wound up with two five gallon buckets of cherries, some of which got turned into scones (and gifted back to the owners of the trees), while others were frozen and dehydrated for later enjoyment.
We were inspired by this to apply for an Amazon ChangeX Grant in 2023 for a project called Let ‘er Bloom, which funded the planting of a dozen trees in accessible areas around Pendleton. Three years later, most of these trees are already producing fruit.
I’m writing this essay in mid June, and there are still plenty of productive cherry trees around. By next week, it’s likely that cherry season will have passed, but if you’re reading this before July, there’s a good chance you’ll find some. (Just remember to ask the owners first before showing up with your bucket and ladder!)
Even after the cherries are gone, Pendleton’s tradition of generosity and gleaning opportunities remain. Both the North and the South Hill have fruit trees that are ripe for the picking throughout the summer. There are even a couple of websites that will connect homeowners looking for gleaners with folks looking for fruit trees. Falling Fruit is an international site that has a few listings in Pendleton.
Other Opportunities for Free Stuff
Fruit aside, there are other opportunities in this town for people to show their generosity, and for people to benefit from the generosity of others. In my former position as community engagement coordinator for 211, Oregon, I became aware of a number of organizations in Pendleton that help people who are looking for assistance,
Among these are of course the aptly name People Helping People, which has a small food bank offering non-perishables to folks in need. They also offer clothing and bags for school children. Closer to downtown, E-Street Thrift at 633 SE Emigrant also offers clothing, shoes and other items to families who can’t afford them during school year.
These days, victory gardens and learning how to repair items to bring them back to life rather than purchasing new ones are increasingly important, as are the many Facebook groups encouraging free trade and barter. Pendleton Oregon Free Stuff and Buy Nothing Pendleton are both good places to start.
Whether digital or analogue, gleaning and trading with neighbors is generally good policy, as anyone with parents or grandparents who lived through the Great depression will tell you. So let ‘er glean!
