Museum presents Chinese history exhibition z | Page 2
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History buffs will love the expanded Heritage Room z | Page 5 B U S I N E S S A S S O C I AT I O N
Volume 15 Number 35 | 50¢
August 31, 2016
OPEN FOR BUSINESS 250.376.2411
Community programs enjoy fruits of volunteer labour Do you or someone you know feel overwhelmed by the physically taxing and time consuming task of maintaining the fruit trees on your property? The Gleaning Abundance Project (GAP), a food action program of the Kamloops Food Policy Council is here to help…in more ways than one! Fruit tree owners are encouraged to connect with the organization in order to organize a harvest party. The harvested fruit and vegetables are shared amongst homeowners, volunteers and community agencies. Here’s a fun fact for your next cocktail party, gleaning is an ancient practice in which surplus vegetation is collected from fruit trees, farms and home gardens and shared amongst the community. Now, the collected goods are split between the homeowners, volunteers and community food outreach programs. Sandra Frangiadakis, coordinator of the program, would first like to apologize for not getting to every single apricot tree that they were invited to harvest. “Can we sneak that into the story?” she says with a laugh. That is one of the greatest challenges for GAP, keeping up with the demands of prolific growth and abundant fruit. Even with over 300 volunteers ready to help out at harvest parties in the backyards of homeowners with fruit trees, there was just more trees than time and people! Furthermore, as GAP grows, an additional challenge is to not overwhelm community organizations with too much product. Not wanting to waste the food or the volunteer sourcing supplies, web development, commuefforts, there are options for the picked fruit that nity connects and collecting the necessary tools might be bruised of non-palatable. Farm owners, to handle the job; ladders, bins and a van. Since poultry or pork producers are welcome to con- their inception, the GAP has picked over 47,000 tact the organization to collect free fruit for their pounds of fruit and have shared that wealth animals. GAP is always on the lookout for new with a vast number of organizations such as avenues that could be benefited by the Gleaning the Kamloops Food Bank, various community kitchens, Mt Paul Community Church, the Brock Abundance Program. The program began in 2013, with Sandra join- Activity Centre, farm to school programs and to ing a year later. The first year was mostly about a number of senior’s centres. While the fruit is
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often made into other dishes, jams and desserts or canned for winter months, it makes for an excellent snack. Says Sandra; it’s often placed in bowls at retirement facilities, so residents can grab some fresh fruit on the go. Now, that apricot season is over, the focus of harvest parties is on pears, apples, plums and grapes. Fruit tree owners are asked to fill out the online form to register, the Gleaning - continued on page 2
Canning Tomatoes Potatoes • Beets Pickling Onions • Plums Green Cabbage • Squash and so much more!