What was the impetus for the creation of Forage Oakland?
Forage Oakland began in the spring of 2008, and was borne out of my desire to continue the work of Temescal Amity Works,
which was a fruit harvesting/ community engagement project created by
two neighborhood artists, Susanne Cockrell and Ted Purves. Temescal
Amity Works was a multi-year project that took place between July 2004
and January 2007, and was funded through grants from the Creative Capital Foundation, the Creative Work Fund,
and the Oakland Arts Commission. Between 2004-2007, the 49th Street
Reading Room served as a lively hub of activity for Temescal residents. I
became aware of this project just as it was wrapping up; so sadly, was
never directly involved. I like to think that Forage Oakland, in its
kindred-ness, is a sister project of Temescal Amity Works, and when I
embarked upon creating Forage Oakland, residents expressed relief that
there would be a project that continued the work of Temescal Amity
Works.
What inspired you to start Forage Oakland?
I
began Forage Oakland after spending four years in the Bay Area, and
each season becoming more enamored by the bounty that exists in our
backyards. Not only was I struck by the bounty, but I was also struck by
the inevitable waste of backyard fruit. This waste generally results
from a family's inability to keep pace with the fruit tree's ripening of
fruit, which often happens over the course of a few days, leaving
residents little time to gather friends and neighbors to aid in the
harvest. From what I've learned from Temescal residents, fruit does not
rot by the wayside because residents are disinterested in their backyard
fruit, but it is wasted because residents eventually become sated (or
overwhelmed) with their backyard fruit. I began to consider various
ways to harvest and equitably redistribute the fruit. Thus, Forage
Oakland was borne. Temescal Amity Works served as a great inspiration,
of course.
Also, after having established Forage Oakland, I discovered a project called Abundance Sheffield,
a UK-based harvesting project that gathers and redistributes surplus
backyard fruit, and has created community events centered around their
fall fruit harvests.
How are members recruited?
Recruitment
for Forage Oakland involved canvassing my neighborhood of Temescal, on
foot for several days at a time, for about two weeks. I canvassed
between 40th and 50th Streets to the north and south, and between
Telegraph Avenue and Broadway to the east and west. My binoculars became
an essential tool , and each time I spotted a fruit tree, whether it be
public or private, I'd take note of the street address, and would later
send the associated resident a letter requesting permission to harvest
the tree's fruit. In this fashion, I'd deliver brief written or typed
notes to North Oakland-ers, and until the Forage Oakland blog began to
attract attention, I continued in this manner. Creating the blog
streamlined the member recruitment process, and it allowed new members
to register via an online enrollment form.Membership is capped at the
moment, but the Fall 2011 release of the web-based app will allow users
to connect with one another directly, and will aid in membership
management.
What neighborhoods does Forage Oakland serve?
Forage
Oakland serves North Oakland and South Berkeley neighbors. If you live
in the Bay Area but not within these confines, other harvest projects
may be able to harvest your excess fruit. The bottom, right sidebar
contains a list of other Bay Area (as well as national and
international) harvesting projects that you may contact with your fruit
harvesting needs.
What is the relationship between Forage Oakland and Forage San Francisco?
When
I began Forage Oakland in the spring of 2008, the intention was to
harvest fruit in both East Bay neighborhoods as well as in select San
Francisco communities. I soon realized that this was a nearly
insurmountable task, and decided to focus on harvesting in my immediate
neighborhood. If you have an early business card from Forage Oakland, it
may read Forage Oakland-Forage San Francisco, as the original intention
was to harvest excess fruit within both cities .
The community-supported forage project of Iso Rabins happens to be called ForageSF, but the two projects are unrelated; they just happen to have similar names.
What fruits are commonly bartered within the Forage Oakland network?
Here is a full list of all fruits (and nuts) that have been traded within the Forage Oakland network:
apples,
apricots, Asian pears, avocado, blackberries, elderberries,
elderflowers, eureka lemons, fennel, figs, fuyu persimmons, grapefruit,
hachiya persimmons, huckleberries, loquats, meyer lemons, mulberries,
nectarines (white), olives, oranges, passion fruit, peaches, pears,
pineapple guava, plums, prickly pear, quince, sour cherries, tamarillo,
walnuts (green)
Do you trade vegetables as well?
Forage
Oakland is a project that is specifically interested in redistributing
backyard fruit that would otherwise be wasted. I focus on fruit trees
because I am interested in how current generations interact with this
vestige of former generations, and would like to better understand our
relationship with these forgotten objects, objects that were once quite
essential, and most likely played a more central role than they
currently do.If you have a surplus of garden vegetables, I’d recommend
contacting Neighborhood Vegetables.
Can you explain a bit about the jam and marmalade exchanges?
The
marmalade and jam exchanges are an opportunity to trade surplus
homemade preserves with one’s neighbors, and to meet neighbors one may
not otherwise have met. These events are festive, casual, and open to
the general public (not only Forage Oakland members).
How do I start a chapter in my own neighborhood?
Email
me at forageoakland@gmail.com if you would like to start a chapter of
Forage Oakland. If you live outside of Oakland and would like to start a
harvesting group using the Forage Oakland model, please email me as
well, and I’d be happy to offer guidance.
Do you always ask for permission before picking fruit?
Yes,
I do always ask before I harvest from private property. Part of the
mission of Forage Oakland is to build community within North Oakland,
using excess fruit as an entry point. Often, laden branches hang over
public sidewalks, in which case one can use his or her discretion in
deciding whether to ask permission before harvesting. As a general
policy, I always ask before harvesting. Asking to harvest from your
neighbor’s fruit tree could be the first step in eventually building a
relationship with said neighbor. One could choose to bypass this step,
but also never know what could have come from that small intervention.
Is it lawful in California to pick fruit if the branches hang over onto public property?
Yes,
if a particular branch hangs over a public sidewalk, it is lawful to
harvest the fruit of said branch. However, if the tree is growing on
private property, I still consider it a courtesy to ask permission
before harvesting.
Does Forage Oakland sell fruit?
Does Forage Oakland sell fruit?
The
fruit that is harvested through Forage Oakland is not sold, not even in
special occasions. The mission of the project is to foster the meeting
of neighbors around the shared resource of abundant neighborhood fruit.
To that end, Forage Oakland encourages neighbors to exchange their fruit
with one another.
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