Skip to content
CapRadio

CapRadio

listen live donate
listen live donate
listen live
donate
  • News
    • News

    • State Government
    • Environment
    • Health Care
    • Race and Equity
    • Business
    • Arts and Lifestyle
    • Food and Sustainability
    • PolitiFact California
    News
    • News

    • State Government
    • Environment
    • Health Care
    • Race and Equity
    • Business
    • Arts and Lifestyle
    • Food and Sustainability
    • PolitiFact California
  • Music
    • Music

    • Classical
    • Jazz
    • Eclectic

    • Daily Playlist
    Music
    • Music

    • Classical
    • Jazz
    • Eclectic

    • Daily Playlist
  • Podcasts & Shows
  • Schedules
  • Events
  • Support
    • Support
    • Ways to support
    • Evergreen Donation
    • One-Time Donation
    • Corporate Sponsorship
    • Vehicle Donation
    • Stock Giving
    • Legacy Giving
    • Endowment Support
    • Members
    • Member Benefits
    • Member FAQ
    • Member Newsletter

    • Fund drives
    • Drawing Winners
    • Thank You Gifts
    Support
    • Support
    • Ways to support
    • Evergreen Donation
    • One-Time Donation
    • Corporate Sponsorship
    • Vehicle Donation
    • Stock Giving
    • Legacy Giving
    • Endowment Support
    • Members
    • Member Benefits
    • Member FAQ
    • Member Newsletter

    • Fund drives
    • Drawing Winners
    • Thank You Gifts
  • About
  • Close Menu
 We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter 
 We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter 
  • Food and Sustainability
  •  

Volunteer Gleaners Pick Fruit For Hungry South Sacramento Families

  •  Lesley McClurg 
Monday, March 16, 2015 | Sacramento, CA
Listen
/
Update RequiredTo play audio, update browser or Flash plugin.
Andrew Nixon / Capital Public Radio

Aaron Farnan of Fair Oaks traveled to the Pocket neighborhood with his mother to glean fruit at private homes. The fruit will be distributed at John Still School in the Meadowview neighborhood of Sacramento.

Andrew Nixon / Capital Public Radio

Early in the morning on a recent Saturday, the lawn at John Still Elementary in south Sacramento's Meadowview neighborhood is covered with tools.

About 45 volunteers load long poles with caged baskets, ladders, buckets and boxes into cars destined for homes in the nearby Pocket neighborhood, where citrus has grown unpicked.

IMG_4840

Gleaned fruit is distributed to families in the parking lot of John Still School in the Meadowview neighborhood of Sacramento.  Andrew Nixon / Capital Public Radio

IMG_4343

Kim Braun of Antelope loads a pickup truck with tools before Soil Born Farms workers and other volunteers head out to glean fruit in Sacramento.  The harvest will be distributed to families at John Still School.    Andrew Nixon / Capital Public Radio 


Dominic Allamano is the coordinator for Harvest Sacramento. He cringes when he sees oranges or mandarins withering on trees.

"There might be a couple million pounds going to waste in the city," says Allamano.

IMG_4443
Aaron Farnan of Fair Oaks traveled to the Pocket neighborhood with his mother to glean fruit at private homes.  The fruit will be distributed at John Still School in the Meadowview neighborhood of Sacramento.   Andrew Nixon / Capital Public Radio


Volunteer Megan Walsh says the trees are bending under the weight.

"The tree was so full and heavy that they've been splatting on the ground when we've been dropping a few," she says.

Glean -pic1
Volunteers pick fruit at a residence in the Pocket, a neighborhood near John Still School. The school is in the Meadowview neighborhood which is considered a food desert.   Andrew Nixon / Capital Public Radio


But, some trees are harder to pick than others. In the hot sun sweat gathers on Erika Fucarino's brow.

"This is not an  easy tree to work with. Because there so high, so high this time. It's a real work out," she says.

Fucarino has been harvesting navel oranges from the top branches of a tree with her daughter and son.

A few hours later their labor pays off.

"That's about 50-60 pounds," she says as she dumps the fruit.

IMG_4588
Matt Read helps with gleaning fruit as a team leader for Soil Born Farms.  He directs volunteers and coordinates their movement between homes that are donating fruit.   Andrew Nixon / Capital Public Radio


Coordinator Dominic Allamano tallies a wide array of fruit picked from about 15 trees.

"We've got grapefruits, three or four kinds of oranges, mandarins, tangerines. We might have some lemons coming back. We've got some giant Washington navel oranges," he says.

The total is a ton.

Glean -pic2
Gleaned fruit is distributed to families in the parking lot of John Still School in the Meadowview neighborhood of Sacramento.   Andrew Nixon / Capital Public Radio


At the end of the morning low income families from Meadowview fill overflowing grocery bags with the day's harvest.

The next fruit gleaning will be in north Sacramento on March 21st.

Read stories from and listen to our documentary on food insecurity in south Sacramento, Hidden Hunger, part of CapRadio's multimedia series The View From Here.


Follow us for more stories like this

CapRadio provides a trusted source of news because of you.  As a nonprofit organization, donations from people like you sustain the journalism that allows us to discover stories that are important to our audience. If you believe in what we do and support our mission, please donate today.

Donate Today  

Lesley McClurg

Former Food And Sustainability Reporter

Lesley McClurg reported for Capital Public Radio’s Food and Sustainability through January 2016.  Read Full Bio 

Sign up for ReCap and never miss the top stories

Delivered to your inbox every Friday.

 

Check out a sample ReCap newsletter.

Thanks for subscribing!

Thank you for signing up for the ReCap newsletter! We'll send you an email each Friday with the top stories from CapRadio.

Browse all newsletters

Most Viewed

Sacramento plans to debut hundreds of tiny homes. Will they help people move off the streets?

State may scale down its new home loan program designed to assist first-time homebuyers

California coronavirus updates: COVID-19 pandemic likely contributed to spread of a dangerous fungus, researchers say

10 new California laws that go into effect in 2023

The Sacramento Kings could clinch a spot in the playoffs Monday night. Here’s how.

We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter

Most Viewed

Sacramento plans to debut hundreds of tiny homes. Will they help people move off the streets?

State may scale down its new home loan program designed to assist first-time homebuyers

California coronavirus updates: COVID-19 pandemic likely contributed to spread of a dangerous fungus, researchers say

10 new California laws that go into effect in 2023

The Sacramento Kings could clinch a spot in the playoffs Monday night. Here’s how.

Back to Top

  • CapRadio

    7055 Folsom Boulevard
    Sacramento, CA 95826-2625

    •  
      (916) 278-8900
    •  
      (877) 480-5900
    •  Contact / Feedback
    •  Submit a Tip / Story Idea
  • About

    • Mission / Vision / Core Values
    • Stations & Coverage Map
    • Careers & Internships
    • Staff Directory
    • Board of Directors
    • Press
  • Listening Options

    • Mobile Apps
    • Smart Speakers
    • Podcasts & Shows
    • On-Air Schedules
    • Daily Playlist
    • Signal Status
  • Connect

    •  Facebook
    •  Twitter
    •  Instagram
    •  YouTube
  • Donate

  • Listen Live

  • Newsletters

CapRadio stations are licensed to California State University, Sacramento. © 2023, Capital Public Radio. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Website Feedback FCC Public Files: KXJZ KKTO KUOP KQNC KXPR KXSR KXJS. For assistance accessing our public files, please call 916-278-8900 or email us.