Tons of apples gleaned keep the food banks full

It’s peak apple season and across the area a large crop is weighing down neighborhood trees.

At the Resurrection Community Garden behind the Episcopal Church of the Resurrection on East Eighth Avenue in Spokane Valley, about a dozen old apple trees are reminders of Spokane Valley’s history as a an orchard and vegetable farming town.

The Spokane Edible Tree Project – a countywide organization that gleans unused fruit and donates it to local food banks – has formed a partnership with the church, and this year the nonprofit harvested 4,200 pounds of apples. So far.

“People even came out in the rain the other weekend,” said Kate Burke, Edible Tree Project director.

In 2015, the Resurrection Garden grew and donated more than 5,000 pounds of fruits and vegetables to local food banks.

Richard Chan, spokesperson for the Episcopal Vestry, said it’s been great to have the Edible Tree crews on site, and nice to see the apples being used for something.

“Some of the trees may be 100 years old or so,” Chan said. “We are just so happy someone gets to use the fruit.”

Chan is not certain which apple varietals are on the church’s trees, though initial taste testing point toward some being old style Red Delicious.

Regardless of variety, the apples are sweet and can be eaten right off the tree.

Burke got the idea for the Edible Tree Project from Portland’s Fruit Tree Project.

“If the apples aren’t picked, not much will happen to them,” Burke said.

Edible Tree will send a gleaning crew to anything from one backyard tree to an orchard.

Tree owners may register their trees on the website www.spokaneedibletreeproject.org. That’s also where volunteers may sign up.

Burke said she hopes the church can become a home base for Edible Tree.

“We’d like to teach ladder safety and pruning classes here,” Burke said. “That way we’d actually have an address.”