Portland Fruit Tree Project (PFTP) is a non-profit gleaning organization that provides a community-based solution to a critical and growing need in Portland and beyond: access to healthy food and the benefits provided by trees, including cleaner air, shade and food. They have been promoting food justice, preventing waste and strengthening community through harvesting and caring for urban fruit trees since 2007. Starting this year, they are expanding their work to include vegetables.
Federal actions are resulting in PFTP’s food pantry partners seeing a 20 percent reduction in fresh food, but they’re not going to take this laying down. Instead, along with other community partner groups, they are joining in the efforts of a new “Grow to Donate” initiative.
People who always seem to have too much of a crop (think tomatoes, zucchini or cabbage) can share the bounty through the Grow to Donate program. PFTP can pick people’s veggies and is opening up their fruit fridge to accept veggies. If there’s a bigger space where harvesting help is needed and PFTP isn’t the right organization to do it, they probably know someone that can help.
For more about PFTP’s work, visit portlandfruit.org; more about the Grow to Donate initiative is at lifturbanportland.org/grow-to-donate. There’s no reason to let summer’s bounty go to waste.
