51st and Broadway Grapefruit/ Barn Show

Here is Emma Brown's article in the Chronicle about Forage Oakland.

Saturday found Jenn and me at the corner of 51st and Broadway in Rockridge. I've watched this grapefruit tree since I moved to the neighborhood four years ago, but I hadn't tried any of the fruit. Just as we arrived, an occupant of the building was leaving, and I double checked with him that it was okay to harvest the fruit. We harvested dozens of grapefruit, immediately giving many away to passers by and then schlepping the rest of them home. There is something to be said of the instant gratification that comes with immediately redistributing the fruit, rather than first taking it home to be sorted and such (which is what I usually do). Everyone we offered grapefruit to accepted, with some of them taking three or four fruits to enjoy later.

Carla, I've found your grapefruit and expect a delivery in the coming days!

Here is a photo of the bounty, after we'd given away fruit to passers by.

This is the hand of a cyclist who accepted a grapefruit 'to go.' I wish I had chatted with him a bit more, though, because of anyone we talked to that day, he seemed the most enchanted with the idea of harvesting urban fruit and redistributing it.

And here is another photo of the full bucket of fruit.

On Sunday morning, I baked two cakes (lemon marmalade cakes with lemon and nocino glaze) for the barn show, and sent them north with Sam White. I also sent the following home made items: two bottles of 41st Street orange whiskey syrup, two bottles of 45th Street rosemary syrup, 45th Street applesauce, a large bag of Shafter Street oranges, and 3 jars of marmalade from Suzanne Husky.

Here is a cake, wrapped in wax paper.

Here are the oranges that were sent north. They were harvested Friday, January 30th.