Small hands helped pick 17 pounds of beautiful Rainier Cherries donated by Dvora, a generous new tree donor. The cherries were delivered to the White Center food bank on Monday morning. Know of more trees? Help harvest fruit or let us know of a tree with surplus fruit. Last year we donated 4,500 pounds of fruit to the food banks. Help us meet our goal of 6,500 pounds for 2009.

Fresh lettuce, fragrant cilantro, and delicious peas were harvested this week from the food garden at the White Center Food Bank. This garden was planted by volunteers from SeattleWorks and Community Harvest of Southwest Seattle. We would like to thank Geary at the food bank for watering, and food bank clients for weeding. With tomatoes, eggplant, and cucumbers planted, we look forward to more healthy fresh food in months to come.

We are delighted with our new office in the White Center Cultural Community Center, sharing the building with the Trusted Advocates, Hopelink school, and other community organizations. The bonus: a wonderful sunny potential garden plot which we plan on developing with the community. Thanks to Steve T. we already have some tomatoes in the ground. Please contact info@gleanit.org if you would like to be part of this community garden.

We are very grateful to Maria Cox, widow of community leader and policeman Steve Cox, for her generous donation of a truck, which we will use for transporting ladders and fruit.

The Edible Garden Fair at South Seattle Community College was a success - over 300 people gathered to learn all about growing their own groceries. See pictures.  What next?  The 2nd Annual West Seattle Edible Garden Tour.  Come visit the backyards, parking strips and alley ways of West Seattle to see creative uses of limited spaces to produce food:  Fruit trees, annual vegetables, and of course, chickens! Locations of the 10 gardens for this free event will be published by July 1.