Today I learned about gleaning from a fast growing NGO in Toronto called Not Far From the Tree. It boggles the mind that this group picked over 3000 lbs of free fruit last summer from a single city ward, the fightin' 21st! Councillor Joe Mihevc has been doing some great things uptown especially with the Wychwood Barns Art Project, opened only three months ago. Reading up on the history of gleaning and the way it manifests now in our urban center reminds me of the Harris days when I used to depend on food banks for occasional supplements. I remember coming home one day with three cans that had no labels on them, only to find that they were gravy, something I had never seen in a can before. Also, canned gravy is not better than no gravy, in my humble opinion. If the Daily Bread Food Bank got in on this gleaning scheme, they could really be doing something great for their clients. It may be idealistic to think that the unwanted fruit growing in the city could help our hungry but it sure beats mystery cans. I don't know about you, but I'm looking forward to picking pears, apricots and mullberries this summer. I hope NFFTT can use one more volunteer... excuse me, I have a neighbourhood to canvass. Amber out.
No comments:
Post a Comment