Forage Oakland

Goodbye Blogger, hello Wordpress.

2011-09-21T11:29:00.000-07:00

Forage Oakland has a new home at Wordpress! All the content from Blogger has been imported to the Wordpress blog, and once all posts are tagged, you'll be able to search for information by post category. Click here to visit the new site.

Thanks,
Asiya

"At Vacant Homes, Foraging For Fruit" in the NY Times

2011-08-17T07:10:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, August 14, an article about foraging at Atlanta's foreclosed homes appeared in the New York Times. The article, written by Kim Severson, offers an interesting perspective on foraging during economically trying times; you can decide for yourself what you think about this practice, and the ethical questions therein.

Click here for the full article.

Gray Area Foundation for the Arts: Summer of Smart

2011-08-16T18:54:00.000-07:00

(Screenshot taken from the GAFFTA, SoS website)

Gray Area Foundation for the Arts (GAFFTA) is a San Francisco-based foundation that seamlessly integrates the work of designers, coders, urbanists, and artists. They work at the intersection of these various disciplines, producing provocative work that engages people from disparate fields.

Here is a bit about their work, in their own words: " GAFFTA brings together the best creative coders, data artists, designers, and makers to create experiments that build social consciousness through digital culture. We fund programs aimed at the production, research, and dissemination of digital culture where art, science, technology, and society intersect. We bring diverse communities together to incubate ideas, and we support and showcase the projects they create. We host classes, workshops, seminars, and symposia taught and attended by the very people that are transforming today’s digital age.

This weekend, GAFFTA is organizing the third and final Summer of Smart: Public Health + Food + Nutrition + Urban Agriculture. The event, which is open to the public, is a weekend-long affair whereby teams of attendees will work together to create mobile applications that address urgent needs at the nexus of planning, food systems, and public health. The most promising projects will have an opportunity to present their work at the San Francisco mayoral forum, as well as become researchers-in-residence at GAFFTA this fall. Click here for more information about this dynamic event.

I'll be there, and I hope to see you, too.

-Asiya

Boskoi: New Foraging Mobile App

2011-08-16T08:12:00.000-07:00

(screenshot pulled from the Boskoi website)

Urban Edibles, an Amersterdam-based harvesting group, has released a new mobile foraging application whereby users can search for any number of fruits, nuts, fungi, herbs, and reeds, among other forage-ables. The new application is based on an opensource Ushahidi platform and is called Boskoi, which means 'browser' in Greek. The application is currently available in beta form for Android phones.

Download the free application and contribute to the crowdsourced list of edibles.

Thank you for attending the Oakland Museum Harvesting Tour!

2011-07-20T19:16:00.000-07:00

Photo by Shaun Roberts, courtesy of the Oakland Museum of California.

Photo by Toni Gauthier, courtesy of the Oakland Museum of California.

Thanks to all who joined us on Sunday, July 10, for a meandering bike ride from the Oakland Museum to Temescal. Despite the time constraints, we were able to harvest plums on 41st St. (thanks to Viva and Jonathan's generosity), as well as make an impromptu stop along Lakeshore for a blackberry harvest. With a critical mass of approximately 50 people, we were a sizeable crowd, taking the scenic route down Oak St.; around Lake Merritt; and along Webster until we reached our destination.

Some have requested a route map, which I'll post soon.

If you were able to capture any photos during the tour or subsequent panel discussion, please email me at forageoakland@gmail.com

Thanks for attending this event, and though Forage Oakland won't be directly involved in upcoming Seed Circus events, I encourage you to attend.

Sincerely,
Asiya

The Future of Apps In The Hands of Today’s Teens (Re-post from MacArthur Foundation's Digital Media and Learning Blog)

2011-07-06T22:10:00.000-07:00

If you'd like to learn a bit more about Forage Oakland's involvement with the MacArthur Foundation sponsored Mobile Action Lab, follow this link. The new urban harvesting mobile application will allow users to locate fruit trees within a specified geographic area and to be notified as the fruit is ripening (and thus ready for harvest) and contact Oakland-ers (and eventually users in other cities, but Oakland will serve as the pilot city) who are available to assist with harvesting in exchange for a certain quantity of excess backyard fruit. In addition, the application will allow fruit tree owners to donate (or barter, if they choose) their glut to a local non-profit that is in need of a regular supply of fruit.

This application will essentially crowd-source the labor- staying abreast of a fruit tree's ripening schedule; contacting fruit tree owners; arranging for harvesting and redistribution- that results in a successful urban fruit redistribution program. It has the potential to increase the amount of excess fruit that is equitably redistributed to individuals, households, and community organizations in Oakland, as it will increase the efficiency by which residents can contact willing harvesters, and harvesters can- in turn- redistribute said fruit. I look forward to the application's launch later this summer, and please check the Mobile Action Lab or the Forage Oakland blog for updates about this exciting collaboration.

Forage Oakland + Oakland Museum Harvesting Tour

2011-07-06T10:49:00.000-07:00

Please help spread the word about this tour, and also, email forageoakland@gmail.com if you have fruit trees in need of harvest, and would be amenable to the Museum tour making a stop at your home. The tour will take place on Sunday, July 10, 1:00 pm. Visit this link, or view Sunday's schedule below.

********

FORAGE

Sunday July 10th, 2011
1:00 pm

Foraging has provided sustenance to all kinds of communities of all kinds since the earliest days of California, but the practice has captured new interest as an alternative to the industrial food system.
This event begins with a bicycle tour of fruit gleaning spots in Temescal, guided by Forage Oakland. Upon return to the Museum, there will be presentations and discussion with California foragers and a screening of the film The Gleaners and I (Agnès Varda, 2000). The event includes a take-away guide by artist Kacie Erin Smith, and, quite possibly, tastes of foraged foodstuffs.

Bike Tour
OMCA Oak Plaza & Temescal
1:00 pm

Meet at OMCA for a bike tour guided by Forage Oakland. The route is a total distance of about seven miles, over mostly flat terrain; we'll ride at a moderate pace. Bike-nurse services by East Bay Bike Party, and bike valet by East Bay Bicycle Coalition (EBBC).

Discussion
OMCA Oak Plaza
3:00 pm

Short presentations by panelists, followed by group discussion.

Eugene Ahn, FORAGE restaurant, LA
Kevin Cook, chef and boar hunter
Kirk Lombard, marine forager
Osha Neumann, lawyer
Iso Rabins, ForageSF
Moderators: Ted Purves & Susanne Cockrell, artists

Film
OMCA Gallery of California Art
3:30 pm

Screening of documentary film The Gleaners and I (Agnès Varda, 2000).
"[Director Agnès Varda] crisscrossed the French countryside…in search of people who scavenge in potato fields, apple orchards, and vineyards, as well as in urban markets and curbside trash depositories. Some are motivated by desperate need, others by disgust at the wastefulness all around them…The Gleaners and I is both a diary and a kind of extended essay on poverty, thrift, and the curious [practice] of scavenging."
–A. O. Scott, New York Times

All images courtesy of the Oakland Museum.

Hear in the City: Interview Archived

2011-04-22T10:00:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

The Forage Oakland 'Hear in the City' interview with Sara Harris has been archived, and this link will take you to the audio file.

Enjoy!

Sincerely,
Asiya of Forage Oakland

Hear in the City: Radio Realities from the Urban Landscapes

2011-04-12T11:30:00.000-07:00

Forage Oakland will be on "Hear in the City" this afternoon at 3:30 pm, so tune in! In Los Angeles, the show is broadcast on 90.7 FM.

Here is a bit of information about the radio program, culled from their website:

"Our show: focuses on local environment, arts, education, and culture in and around Los Angeles. Our goal is to map the city through sound-rich profiles of people living and working toward creative social change and solutions.

We envision our show as radio for and by community stakeholders. One main tactic in that strategy is that we, as journalists and producers, work with community stakeholders who have important stories to tell. We assign a producer to help tell that story in a way that makes for compelling radio. As opposed to speaking with “sources” or “subjects” on themes of interest and news-worthiness, we work with people who have an interest in getting the word out and are clear about what their interest and POV is.

We are producers of conversations that bring listeners to an issue of common interest through audio gathering techniques that highlight places and peoples. We encourage the people who we collaborate with to spread the word about the project and help us to create an audience of interested and invested community participants. Stay tuned as we unfold this plan."

49th Street Figs

2011-04-04T05:55:00.000-07:00

This is my favorite fig tree in Temescal, and the residents harvest this tree throughout the season. If you ask, though, they'll most likely allow you to join in the harvest, especially towards the end of season, when the figs are especially sweet, puckered, and sun-kissed.

the Ushahidi Platform

2011-03-11T11:39:00.000-08:00

Ushahidi is an interactive data visualization platform that was borne out of the 2007 post-election violence in Kenya. The open source platform has evolved to allow users (and there are now upwards of 45,000) to not only map unfolding emergencies, but to also map community services, events, and resources.

Since its founding, Ushahidi has become a mapping and data visualization project that has been used to map unfolding emergencies such as the January 2010 earthquake in Haiti, the current unrest in Libya, violence in Gaza, and the February 2011 earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand. Voices of Kibera, a citizen's reporting project, has used the platform to map water shortages, emergencies, forced evictions, and health-related news. In addition, the organization has used the Ushahidi platform to map community resources such as media training, yoga classes, and Mathare Youth Sports Association neighborhood clean ups.

The Ushahidi platform could be an appropriate platform for Forage Oakland, as it would adequately allow all members to contribute to populating maps. The Ushahidi platform software is available for anyone to use to map an unfolding event in (near) real time, or to map current resources within a community.

Frequently Asked Questions

2011-03-11T11:32:00.000-08:00

The FAQ page has been updated, so if you have questions about this project, this could be a great place to start. If you still have unanswered questions, you are welcomed to email me at forageoakland@gmail.com.

Thank you!

'How to Create Your Own Seed Lending Library'

2011-03-08T22:18:00.000-08:00

This piece appeared on Shareables.net on February 23, and while the steps are in reference to starting a seed lending library, I think they can be applied to starting an urban fruit harvesting network as well. Thanks to Richmond Grows for sharing this information.

30 Project

2011-03-06T16:33:00.000-08:00

Tonight, I am participating in the inaugural 30 Project dinner, which is a gathering of activists, academics, organizers, cooks, co-op grocery retail proprietors, et al-- anyone who has a vested interest in creatively strategizing ways to make our regional food system more sustainable, holistic, accessible, and equitable, all within 30 year's time.

In preparation for tonight's event, all participants have been asked to think about two questions:

What is your vision for a better food system in 30 years...and what can you do to help us get there?

What work is happening now that you believe is a system-changing solution?

In terms of the latter, projects like Phat Beets offer inspiration, projects that have an understanding of the necessity to work across fields and collaborate with health professionals in order to decrease health inequities in North Oakland communities. Phat Beets site their farmers' markets at strategic locations, and where they can be most impactive, and truly increase access to communities that could benefit most. This means siting markets at Children's Hospital in Oakland, at the St. Martin de Porres School, and North Oakland Arlington Medical Center. Not only does Phat Beets site their markets in communities that could most benefit, they also incentivize the purchase of fresh produce to Children's Hospital patients by offering $5.000 vouchers, called Beet Bucks. Where food costs were once a barrier to purchasing nutritious food, Phat Beets is paving a path that allows low-income Oaklanders to have a more active role in determining what they consume.

This is a project that I believe is a system-changing solution; it functions at the neighborhood level, and directly connects low-income people with fresh produce. Affordable produce markets like this allow people to have an increased say in their food choices. Increasing access and available choices in low-income communities is a vital step in restructuring the food system.

What do you think? What are system-changing solutions that you see happening in your community at the moment?

PS: Following the dinner, the photo at the top of this entry was added to this blog entry. It shows the permanent structure in which we dined, and which will remain at Hayes Valley Farm.

Found Fruit Wine-Making Audio Stories

2011-03-06T10:41:00.000-08:00

Forage Oakland looking for a few good folks to share their found fruit wine-making stories. The stories will be debuted in 2 weeks' time, and I am currently soliciting stories about the following:

Nocino-making
Experiments in making limoncello
Plum wine crafting

...and more. I am specifically looking to capture audio stories, no longer than 90 seconds in length. If you or anyone you know might be interested in contributing to this collection, please do email: forageoakland@gmail.com.

...and hello Blogspot

2011-03-03T18:29:00.001-08:00

It looks like Blogspot is better suited to host the content that I post to the Forage Oakland blog. Over the next few weeks, I'll be transferring the content from the Forage Oakland tumblr site back to this blog. This is the permanent home of Forage Oakland's web presence.

Thanks!

Asiya

Forage Oakland Survey: Please Help Us!

2011-01-18T21:57:00.000-08:00

While the Forage Oakland Blogspot site is no longer active, I would like to alert visitors to the fact that I have posted the Forage Oakland user survey on the new tumblr site. Here is a bit of information about the survey, and a link to the survey itself:

Thank you for taking time to complete the Forage Oakland survey. Forage Oakland is a backyard barter network that serves North Oakland residents who have an excess of backyard fruit. Residents join the project and barter their surplus fruit with their neighbors' surplus bounty.

This year, Forage Oakland will be collaborating with Youth Radio (www.youthradio.org/mobileapplab) to hone its distribution, exchange, and participation systems, with the goal of extending participation to a greater number of Oakland neighborhoods. Residents of West Oakland, downtown, and Lake Merritt neighborhoods have expressed interest in either developing similar fruit tree barter networks, or participating in the present Forage Oakland scheme. The goals of the Forage Oakland/ Youth Radio collaboration are threefold:

* Extend participation to all Oakland residents who have expressed interest in participation

* Connect Oakland youth with local fruit tree owners, and offer youth the chance to fulfill required community service hours through Forage Oakland harvesting missions

* Connect Oakland-ers who have time to harvest fruit with other Oakland-ers who have excess fruit

This survey will help us develop a sense of current members’ needs as we move forward with developing our 2011 projects. Your feedback will be anonymous and confidential, and will only be used for the purpose of creating a fruit barter network that accurately reflects the needs of our community.

Thank you for your time! Click here to take the survey.

Sincerely, Asiya of Forage Oakland

Goodbye Blogspot, hello Tumblr!

2010-12-22T17:36:00.000-08:00

Blogspot has been an excellent forum for the online presence of Forage Oakland, but 2011 marks a revamping of the project, and as such, I'd like to explore other formats for dissimenating information. So, Forage Oakland is moving to Tumblr! What I like about Tumblr is that it lends itself to curating a site that contains traditional blog pieces, but not to the detriment of sharing nascent ideas or thoughts. Links, photos, audio and video files can all be shared quite easily on the Tumblr site, and that appeals to me. Often, I'd like to simply share a link that I've come across in the course of the day, and do so without including a lengthy narrative. I will be able to achieve this on the Tumblr site. Please bookmark the new site, and click here to begin exploring the new Forage Oakland forum.

Goodbye Blogspot!

Sincerely,
Asiya

The Triumvirate of Autumn Fruit

2010-10-13T08:21:00.000-07:00

(photo: Monica L.)

apples
quice
pears

Forage Oakland in the New York Times Magazine

2010-10-12T00:57:00.000-07:00

Yesterday (or Sunday, now that it's officially Tuesday), the New York Times Magazine ran a photo essay about DIY food projects of the Bay Area. Forage Oakland was featured. Click here to view the slideshow.

Goodnight.

October

2010-10-04T08:06:00.000-07:00

Apples abound in the neighborhood (and they're delicious).

Autumn Bounty

2010-09-25T10:45:00.001-07:00

While the activities of Forage Oakland have been whittled down to the bare minimum (while I work with Youth Radio to figure out how to reorganize the project), Monica and I were able to reap a bit of the fall bounty yesterday afternoon. It was appropriately windy and chilly, like a proper autumn day, and early fall fruits were in great abundance in Temescal. The pineapple guava will be ready for harvest in the coming weeks (as well as the passion fruit), but in the meantime, there are copious amounts of apples, quince, pears, and figs.

Here are photos from the day.

Harvest Tomorrow Morning, 09/26

2010-09-25T10:35:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

Tomorrow morning, Forage Oakland & friends will be taking a walking tour between CCA and 18 Reasons (located at 18th/ Guerrero in the Mission), charting fruit trees and harvesting ripe fruit. If you or someone you know has an especially ripe fruit tree and would like it harvested tomorrow late morning, please call (510) 499-6315. We will be meandering along 17th Street, at the edge of Jackson Park, and harvesting olives, tree strawberries, and (hopefully) apples along the way.

Please only call the above phone number if you have an abundant fruit tree located within meandering distance of CCA and/or 18 Reasons. You can also reach Forage Oakland by email at forageoakland@gmail.com.

Thank you!

Asiya

PS: Welcome home, Monica (featured in the above photo).

the Forage Oakland Maifesto

2010-09-18T08:25:00.001-07:00

This is the Forage Oakland manifesto, which I wrote almost two years ago; while Forage Oakland has evolved and taken a new form since its inception, I still believe in the articles of faith on which this project was founded, and believe it's important to share this mission every now and again:

Architecture in the City Harvesting Tour Rescheduled.

2010-09-17T07:49:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

The Architecture in the City/ Forage Oakland Fruit Harvesting Tour has been rescheduled for this upcoming Sunday, September 26. I believe there are several spots still open, so if you haven't signed up and would like to, there's still time.

When: the tour will begin at the FARM at CCA, 11:00 am
Where: we will meander through the Mission, making several harvesting stops along the way; we'll return to 18 Reasons for light refreshments (from the neighborhood) and a chat about the myriad reasons why every community could (possibly) benefit from an urban gleaning project.

Ahoy!

2010-07-25T08:58:00.000-07:00

This is a liminal time where North Oakland plums have, more or less, come and gone, and apples, pears, figs, and other late summer fruit has yet to ripen.

If, however, you are in Temescal and have a fruit tree that could benefit from a harvest this morning, call me: 510 499 6315, okay?

I'd love to show an out-of-town visitor all that North Oakland has to offer in the way of late July fruit.

Sincerely,
Asiya

Your Expertise.

2010-07-17T10:52:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I receive emails from enthusiastic readers who have questions that I cannot answer, i.e. questions that require the technical knowledge of a seasoned pruner, a jam maker with years of experience under his or her belt, or someone with vast knowledge of plant identification that exceeds my experience.

I am an ardent jam maker, an avid harvester and ever-committed to learning more about the various facets that encompass the Forage Oakland project; but, I am- by no means (!)- an expert in all these capacities. If you fancy yourself (or simply someone who can offer guidance in fielding questions in these fields) an expert in plant biology; pruning and general fruit tree maintenance; jam making; and other fields related to this project, send me an email! To be able to refer to someone with greater expertise when fielding technical questions would be quite useful.

The commitment will be minimal and hopefully you'll enjoy being a part of this project. Send an email to forageoakland@gmail.com.

Sincerely,
Asiya

'Oakland-Meets-Almaty' Plum Jam Recipe

2010-07-12T20:59:00.000-07:00

Almaty is the capital city of the Central Asian country of Kazakhstan, where there is a rich history of fruit preserving. My neighbors, Zhanara (who hails from Kazakhstan) and Aaron have adapted a traditional Kazakh method of jam making for purpose of processing the prolific plums in their Temescal backyards.

Thanks to Aaron and Zhanara for this recipe, and tomorrow I'll post another recipe for Oakland plum jam (just for variety's sake).

And as Aaron says "The main idea is not to cook the fruit down, but to gently heat it in order to avoid scalding or caramelizing the sugars. The result is a jam brighter in color, fruitier in flavor, and more intensely sweet than I thought possible. I think its tastes are highlighted when you drizzle it over ice cream or fold it into plain yogurt."

"Oakland-meets-Almaty" Plum Jam

Put a few pounds of rinsed plums in a big, heavy bottomed pot-- skins, pits, and all!
Add enough sugar to cover the plums completely (Yes, really. Cover them. I had to ask Zhanara twice about this one to be sure she meant it.) Also, add a cup of water. If you have more than 5 lbs of fruit, add a little more water.
Put the pot on the stove at very, very low heat. Stir with a big spoon a bit to make sure it all warms evenly. As the fruit, sugar, and water start to heat up, the plums will begin to swell a bit; the skins will start slipping off and smells will become decidedly exciting. These are all good signs.
As time goes on, the plums will become increasingly damp and aromatic and the pits will begin to separate from the flesh of the fruit. Feel free to pick them out one-by-one with your spoon, or leave them in if you consider yourself possessed of a more rustic disposition. If you have a rustic disposition, be sure to warn your less rustic friends before they eat your jam and encounter any surprises.
Keep stirring and be patient as the mixture continues to heat.
As soon as the jam reaches a boil, turn off the heat and cover the pot. Allow it to cool completely (mine sat for a night or two while I scrambled around to get jars).
Once the jam has cooled, check the texture. Your former plums should now be pleasantly jammy - albeit a little runny and intensely sweet by the standards of American commercial jams. Zhanara pointed out that this is more of a typical Kazakh style as far as jams are concerned. It reminded me of some Scandinavian jams, although those often tend to involve less sugar. Whatever the jam reminds you of, if it seems downright watery or otherwise unpalatable in its runniness, add a bit (~1-2 cups) more sugar.
Return the jam to a low flame and bring it to boil very slowly, just as you did the first time. if you are satisfied with the texture, jar your jam following appropriate instructions. if you are not satisfied after the second boil, let it cool completely before boiling a third time. if you know the jam will be eaten soon, you might just pour the final product into a large receptacle, put a lid on it, and refrigerate.

Fruit preserves are often served in tea in Kazakh culture as well. As Zhanara notes "raspberry preserve cooked in this way is great to add to your tea when you're having a cold or flu. Raspberry preserve is known for its antiseptic qualities. If you take several cups of tea with a spoon of raspberry jam before you go to bed, your cold will be much better the next day."

Thank you, Neighbors.

Audio Library of Fruit Memories

2010-07-05T18:13:00.000-07:00

Maybe you've heard of the StoryCorps project- perhaps you've spent lazy Sundays listening to vignettes featured on This American Life. If you're not familiar with StoryCorps, though, here's the description, taken from their website: "StoryCorps is an independent nonprofit whose mission is to provide Americans of all backgrounds and beliefs with the opportunity to record, share, and preserve the stories of our lives. Since 2003, StoryCorps has collected and archived more than 30,000 interviews from more than 60,000 participants. Each conversation is recorded on a free CD to share, and is preserved at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. StoryCorps is one of the largest oral history projects of its kind, and millions listen to our weekly broadcasts on NPR’s Morning Edition and on our Listen pages."

In the style of StoryCorps, I would like to create an audio library of Forage Oakland vignettes, short stories that chronicle either a specific backyard fruit memory or more broadly, a relationship over the course of residence at particular Oakland location. For example, was there an unforgettable day, three summers ago where you and a friend harvested abundant fruit from your backyard plum tree, and spent the afternoon pitting and halving plums in preparation for plum jam? How about recollecting the events of a late June evening spent harvesting firm, green walnuts, quartering them, and submerging them in vodka; lemon and orange zest; fresh cinnamon; an improbable amount of sugar; and other ingredients one needs for nocino? Or maybe you have a story about a particularly poignant experience sharing fruit with your neighbors. Or maybe your memory is as simple as happening upon, for the first time ever, elderberries in the Oakland Hills.

Maybe you've since moved away from this small paradise of abundant fruit, and in doing so, you've been a bit reflective, thinking about what it means to have such an enduring relationship with the fruit that you eat every day, and maybe there's no better time to share this memory while you are lamenting + celebrating your move.

Whatever you remember and care to share, share! The location is TBA, but will definitely happen over the course of the next few weeks. Stay tuned (and tell your friends, please!).

xx,
Asiya

Gather It! How to Organize an Urban Fruit Harvest

2010-06-28T20:56:00.000-07:00

Hi there. This summer will be spent finishing the Forage Oakland Instructional Manual that I began last summer, but I'd highly recommend referencing Solid Ground's harvesting instructional guide as well. Solid Ground is a Seattle-based organization 'dedicated to achieving a just and caring community, free from poverty, prejudice and neglect. It's mission is to develop and provide creative, comprehensive and effective responses to our community's needs; offer quality human services in a manner that promotes dignity; advocate for public policies and private initiatives that give all people equal opportunities and resources; support the efforts of others who share our vision of community.' Last summer, Solid Ground produced a comprehensive community harvesting guide that will offer clear guidance in establishing one's own fruit harvesting network in the city. The guide includes information on how to plan, establish, and execute a community harvesting project, and also offers useful advice in best practices in involving the community and building lasting alliances with various networks.

Please support their great work by participating in a harvest if you- by chance- find yourself in Seattle this summer. Regular harvests take place Tuesday evenings and Saturday mornings (between July and September), and also are scheduled as needed or by special arrangement.

Nocino Season

2010-06-28T20:39:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I collected a large bag of green walnuts that Erika harvested from her backyard tree, which was more abundant than she could manage. If you would like to make nocino this year, now is the small window in which you can harvest green walnuts.

And maybe you've enjoyed (and hopefully not dismissed!) the tail end of loquat season as well.

Kindred, in some senses.

2010-06-20T14:44:00.000-07:00

You may have seen this in the New York Times Magazine last Sunday. It could be of interest:

The Freegan Establishment by Jake Halpern

"Kit is a freegan. He maintains that our society wastes far too much. Freeganism is a bubbling stew of various ideologies, drawing on elements of communism, radical environmentalism, a zealous do-it-yourself work ethic and an old-fashioned frugality of the sock-darning sort. Freegans are not revolutionaries. Rather, they aim to challenge the status quo by their lifestyle choices. Above all, freegans are dedicated to salvaging what others waste and — when possible — living without the use of currency."

New York Times Magazine. Halpern, Jake. June 20, 2010.

Frequently Asked Questions

2010-06-16T19:19:00.001-07:00

Last summer and fall, I was a resident at the Fondazione Pistoletto, a visual arts foundation in northern Italy that offers artist-in-residence-ships to burgeoning and mid-career artists. I spent the time there working on a Forage Oakland instructional guide that will eventually be of use to other fruit barter networks as they build neighborhood gleaning projects. The guide will be completed at the end of this summer, and will be available to you, if you'd like.

This is a list of frequently asked questions that I hope will be of use.

This is a list of questions that have been oft-asked of me by those wishing to start a similar project, or those who are simply curious about the trajectory of this project. If you have a question that is not answered here, please feel free to email me at forageoakland@gmail.com and I'll add it to the list.

Frequently Asked Questions

When Did Forage Oakland start and how did it start?

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 artists, Susanne Cockrell and Ted Purves. Temescal Amity Works was a multi-year project that took place between July 2004 and January 2007.

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 resulting waste of backyard fruit. This waste comes from either a disinterest in the fruit; eventually becoming sated with one’s backyard bounty; or a schedule that does not permit as robust a harvest as necessary to stay on top of the tree’s outpouring of fruit. I thought it was a pity that there was such fine fruit in our neighborhoods and such a large amount of this fruit was going to waste simply for lack of time to harvest it. 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 that there was a very similar-minded project called Abundance Sheffield, which is a UK-based harvesting project.

Was it difficult to recruit members, and how did you publicize it?

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, between Telegraph Avenue and Broadway. I took a set of binoculars with me, and each time I spotted a fruit tree, whether it be public or private, I'd make a note of the nearest street address with the idea of later sending the associated resident a letter requesting permission to harvest the tree's fruit. In this fashion, I'd hand write or type brief notes to North Oaklanders, and until the Forage Oakland blog began to attract attention, I continued in this manner. Luckily, the blog streamlined the process, and it allowed new members to register via an online enrollment form.

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. Please see the bottom, right hand corner of this blog for information on other Bay Area harvest projects. Hopefully by the end of the summer, Forage Oakland will have a wider reach, serving many more neighborhoods and residents of Oakland.

I thought there was a similar project called Forage San Francisco?

When I first began Forage Oakland in the spring of 2008, the intention was to harvest fruit in both East Bay neighborhoods and in San Francisco. I soon realized that this was an almost insurmountable task, and decided I’d stick to harvesting in the East Bay. If you have an early business card from Forage Oakland, it may read Forage Oakland::Forage San Francisco, as the original idea was to harvest surplus fruit in both localities.

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?

No, only fruit. One of the aims of Forage Oakland is to redistribute fruit that would otherwise be wasted, fruit that has- in previous years- been left to rot in giant heaps. So Forage Oakland does not harvest vegetables that have intentionally been cultivated. If you have a surplus of garden vegetables, I’d recommend contacting Neighborhood Vegetables.

Are people willing to harvest their own fruit?

Yes! Sometimes members will harvest their own fruit and kindly leave it in a bag on- say- the porch. I am always happy to harvest, but it certainly makes the distribution process easier when I'm able to speed through the harvesting step...

How do you distribute the fruit? Do you go door to door, or does everyone meet in a central location?

For the past two years, I've been distributing the fruit by bicycle, and this summer, I am creating ways to streamline the distribution process so that those who wish to become involved in distributing fruit in exchange for access to surplus fruit can become involved. This summer will most likely mark the end of this former distribution style, and will make way for a more streamlined process that will connect community organizations (i.e. youth organizations, shelters, hospice care facilities, etc), individuals who would like to offer harvest help, and fruit tree owners.

The Forage Oakland marmalade and jam exchanges also offer a chance for attendees to exchange fresh fruit with their neighbors.

Can you explain a bit about the jam and marmalade exchanges?

Eventually, there will be a bi-monthly marmalade and jam exchange, which will be an opportunity to trade surplus homemade preserves with one’s neighbors. You may know the feeling of having excess plum jam- for example- in your cupboard, entirely too much to consume on one’s own. Why not bring your preserves (made from excess backyard fruit) to a Forage Oakland Preserves Exchange and barter your surplus plum jam for orange marmalade? At the moment, the exchanges are seasonal and is open to the public (not only Forage Oakland members).

This summer I will also experiment with decentralized marmalade and jam exchanges, i.e. any Oakland resident can elect to host a marmalade and jam exchange in his or her neighborhood, or there could even be a dedicated day of decentralized marmalade and jam exchanges all over the city. What do you think?

Do you think Forage Oakland or a project like it is something that could be sustained year round?

Yes, I think it could be. The Bay Area is fortunate enough to have a year round growing season, which lends itself to a year round harvesting network. Aside from a short lull between citrus season and loquat season (late March until late May), there is a profound glut of fruit in Oakland; and Eureka lemons are actually available year round in some Oakland neighborhoods.

How do I start a chapter in my own neighborhood?

Email me directly 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. After taking a break to work on graduate school applications, I plan to finish the 'How To' manual that I began last summer at the Fondazione Pistoletto; it will be available at the end of the summer and will serve as a guide to others as they start their own urban harvesting/ bartering networks. My email address is forageoakland@gmail.com.

Do you always ask for permission before picking fruit?
Yes, I do always ask before I harvest from private property. One of the main goals of Forage Oakland is to work alongside other grassroots projects in Oakland and build a community of people who have the necessary information to be more proactive in their food choices. As in many cities, one can live in an apartment for an entire year without ever seeing the downstairs neighbors. It’s not uncommon at all, but I don’t find it any less dismaying. It is my hope that in meeting our neighbors through a shared love of their fruit tree, we can hope to build a community that cares for and knows one another. Asking to harvest from your neighbor’s fruit tree could be the first step in eventually building a bond with your 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 someone’s private property, I still consider it a courtesy to ask permission before harvesting.

Do you give all of the fruit away or do you sometimes sell it?

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, and encourages the playful exploration of barter and gift economies.

***

Oakland Fruits

2010-06-14T22:29:00.001-07:00

This is a list of all fruits that I've been able to glean in North Oakland:

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
Quince
Sour Cherries
Tamarillo
Walnuts

Is that an all-inclusive list?

Nascent Steps to Begin a Forage Oakland and Youth Radio Collaboration

2010-06-11T20:38:00.000-07:00

This post was written by Lissa Soep, Research Director and Senior Producer at Youth Radio. This update was originally posted on the HASTAC (Humanities, Arts, Sciences, and Technology Advanced Collaboratory) site.

"Greetings from Youth Radio's Mobile Action Lab!

Our charge: to engage 25 young people in collaboration with pro developers to create 5 apps that serve real needs in youth communities. Check out the video for a three-minute version of what we have in mind (and we'd love your feedback).

So far, we've been tapping our advisors and collaborator, Mark Kantor--25-year-old co-founder of Graffiti, one of the biggest apps on Facebook--to plan the year. And we've been hooking up with partners who've got great community projects going that could use youth-generated apps to make them even better.

Like Asiya Wadud, who created the amazing Forage Oakland project, a fruit bartering system Asiya's set up to gather and redistribute produce that would otherwise go to waste (here's a NYTimes story about her work). Right now, it's a ton of work for Asiya, riding around the neighborhood on her bike, harvesting fruit from people's trees before it rots, and delivering the fresh produce around town. We're talking to Asiya about creating a mobile app that automates some aspects of the distribution process and engages sites like schools, food banks, and youth organizations as destinations for food delivery. Youth Radio could be one of those sites, especially our Youth Radio Eats project, where young people prepare meals for one another and produce media on topics including food equity, health, and their entertaining and informative W.T.F.-What's This Food? Series."

Click here to read the full blog post.

'Harvest Party' Sign

2010-06-07T12:36:00.000-07:00

And, thanks to Brad, again for creating this sign! I'm not able to embed a PDF on the site, but as with the 'Plum Harvest' sign, send an email to forageoakland@gmail.com if you'd like a PDF version of the 'Harvest Party' sign.

Sincerely,
Asiya

Plum Harvest Sign

2010-06-06T18:48:00.000-07:00

Yay! 'Plum Harvest' sign, thanks to Brad. If you'd like the PDF, please email forageoakland@gmail.com.

Thank you!

Plum Harvests

2010-06-05T07:20:00.000-07:00

You've probably noticed the tell-tale signs of the imminent plum bounty: hard, unripe fruit littering the sidewalk, the occasional ripe plum being devoured by an army of ants, the little mountain of wild plums settling in a heap at the bottom of driveways.

This summer, as previously mentioned, I'd like to experiment with decentralizing Forage Oakland, and that means decentralizing the harvest gatherings as well. We all know how prolific the plum bounty will be when it comes in earnest, and one way of truly capturing the bounty can be to organize a series of hyper-localized plum harvests. Imagine posting a simple, hand written sign on the telephone pole-- in the same manner as people post signs advertising garage sales-- and the sign will simply read 'Plum Harvest: 123 41st St., 06/05/ 2010 between 10:00 am - 12:00 pm. Bring bags/ jars of jam to trade.' Imagine, too, that you are out for an afternoon stroll and you happen upon this sign and it brings you such joy to know that an ad hoc plum harvest is in progress just blocks away! So, you stop by and meet new neighbors and leave with a bag of Santa Rosa plums.

In the same spirit, you post a sign once your blackberries, mulberries, and figs begin to ripen, and neighbors do not have to coyly sneak to sample your fruits-- because you've invited them to help you harvest, consume, and share them. In this manner, you've met new neighbors, shared your backyard fruit, and possibly forged burgeoning relationships with someone in the next building over.

If you are so moved to post a Harvest Party sign, do so! If you need help posting Harvest Party signs, please call me at (510) 499-6315 or email forageoakland@gmail.com. I can help post signs in the coming weeks, and can also solicit others to do the same.

Sincerely,
Asiya

PS: Do you have Photo Shop skills? Help create a 'Harvest Party' sign in the style of a classic 'Garage Sale' sign.

Welcome to Forage Oakland, reformatted.

2010-05-21T18:41:00.001-07:00

Hi and if you're new to Forage Oakland, welcome. Forage Oakland has been on a bit of a hiatus since late January, but activities will resume in time for the stone fruit harvest in the late spring and early summer.

If you are new to the Forage Oakland community, this is a good place to start. I wrote this manifesto last year as a way to succinctly and openly explain the mission of Forage Oakland.

November 2008:

Forage Oakland is a project that- at its core- works to address how we eat everyday, and how everyone can benefit from viewing their neighborhood as a veritable edible map, considering what is cultivated in any given neighborhood and why, and what histories influence those choices. The gleaning of unharvested fruits; the meeting of new neighbors; the joy of the season's first hachiya persimmon (straight from your neighbor's backyard, no less); the gathering and redistribution of fruits that would otherwise be wasted- can be powerful and can work to create a new paradigm around how we presently think about food in our collective consciousness. Imagine gathering several friends for morning, midday, evening or weekend foraged city bicycle rides through your neighborhood. Rough maps are drawn, noting the forage-ables that can be found at each location and 'cold calls' are made to your neighbors asking if you can sample a fruit from their backyard tree. You have the courage to introduce yourself (despite the pervasiveness and acceptance of urban anomie) and they reward your neighborliness with a sample of Santa Rosa plums, for example. Later, when you find yourself with a surplus of Persian mulberries, you- in turn- deliver a small basket to said neighbor. With time and in this fashion, a community of people who care for and know one another is built, and rather than being the exception, this could be the norm. This is not idealistic, rather it is necessary, pragmatic, and creative-- especially in times when much of the world is suffering from lack of access to healthful and satisfying fresh food. Forage Oakland is a project that works to construct a new model-- and is one of many neighborhood projects that will eventually create a network of local resources that address the need and desire for neighborhoods to be more self-sustaining in meeting their food needs.

This project is about viewing food as a shared pleasure and a shared resource, redistributing it to those who will enjoy it. Invite your neighbors to exchange their surplus peaches for their neighbor's surplus blackberries. Fruit baskets are left on doorsteps: apples by the pound, Santa Rosa plums, sour cherries, persimmons, pineapple guava, and apricots. New associations are formed, and new geographies are created. The street corner where Ashby Street and Martin Luther King, Jr. Way meet is no longer marked by its corner store, rather it is defined by the prolific fig tree on the northeast corner. Encourage your neighbors to share their backyard bounty and barter what they don't intend to use. Hop on your bicycle and redistribute the surplus to another neighbor, making a note of the location of the harvested bounty. An edible landscape can be formed that is interactive, a bit different every day as fruit ripens and falls and as the seasons change. The barter can translate to other areas of urban living, and can create a community of people who'd rather do it for themselves and play an active role in their consumerism. When there are plums in your neighbor's backyard, enjoy them with your neighbor.

-----------------------------
Facilitating the exchange of fruit between my North Oakland neighbors has certainly been a labor of love over the course of these past two years. I absolutely cannot envision how better to spend the encroaching dusk of summer evenings than biking down Shafter Avenue, looking out for a house number of a Forage Oakland member who has, for example, traded loquats for Santa Rosa plums. I cannot think of how better to cultivate an intimate and enduring relationship with my neighborhood than to know, so closely, what is cultivated and what is ripening in surplus on most Temescal streets. I love having this knowledge and I love sharing this knowledge.

Forage Oakland has always been a project that hopes to have the community at its center. I've always known that the project could best serve the needs of the community if it were a democratic project through and through-- maintained by the participants once its foundation was strong enough to manage without someone at the helm. This summer, it is my hope that we can begin to experiment with Forage Oakland as a lab, testing best practices, and incorporating many ideas from the neighborhood and community.

Facilitating the project has been wonderfully overwhelming at times, too, and I know that some of you may have sent correspondences and I have yet to reply. I apologize, and I promise I will get back to each of you, individually-- you have my word. Even if I have not personally responded to your question, note of support, or request to join, I sincerely appreciate your interest in the project, your support, and your kind words. This late spring marks a return to the robust activity that marked the previous seasons.

As I begin graduate school in the fall, I will also need to creatively reformat the model that I've developed over the past two years (which is labor intensive and not conducive to concurrent grad school study) and experiment with methods that streamline participation. For example, could we develop a CSA-style weekly meeting point where any neighbor who has fruit in excess can convene and exchange his or her fruit? Can we partner with a neighborhood organization in the delivery of surplus fruit? Is there a local school that could benefit from a regular delivery of delicious fruit? What do you think?

The marmalade and jam exchanges have been a critical part of the Forage Oakland model, giving members a time and place to meet one another each season over the sharing of their preserved (and fresh) fruits. While we did not convene this spring, hopefully we'll compensate for that with two exchanges this summer. The winter exchange was very well-attended and boasted the most diverse collection of fresh fruits, Oakland-preserved fruits, and even showcased chanterelles and Davis-gleaned olive oil.

Please send me your thoughts and ideas. I would love to hear them. Anyone is welcome to share their ideas, but as always, Forage Oakland is- for the moment- a project that serves the Temescal neighborhood.

Love + Thank You,
Asiya Wadud
forageoakland@gmail.com
(510) 499 - 6315

Resuming Activity this Spring, in a slightly new format.

2010-04-02T11:02:00.000-07:00

Forage Oakland will be resuming harvesting activity this spring, in a reconfigured format.

Please stay tuned!

Sincerely,
Asiya

Journal of Aesthetics and Protest

2010-01-25T11:41:00.000-08:00

The Journal of Aesthetics and Protest, Issue #7, is available! The entire issue is devoted to post-money, and there is a conversation between me and Hynden Walch.

Hoshi Gaki

2010-01-24T21:02:00.000-08:00

The above three images are from the 18 Reasons show. The hoshi gaki have been uninstalled from the gallery, though there may be a tasting in the near future.
(All images courtesy of Jerome Waag)

Hoshi Gaki// Happy New Year (Belatedly)

2010-01-22T00:04:00.001-08:00

This is an image of the 18 Reasons hoshi gaki hanging in their new home in a studio space south of Market. More images will follow. And thanks to Jerome for housing the hoshi gaki and for taking this photograph!

Images from Emilie Raguso

2009-12-26T09:34:00.000-08:00

Below are images from last Sunday's Marmalade and Jam Exchange. Thanks to Emilie Raguso for sending these along!

The jams, all lined up, before the Exchange began.

And again.

Hachiya persimmons and Eureka Lemons.

Hachiya Persimmons.

Chanterelles.

Rick reading his story of olive gleaning in Davis

Thank you!!

2009-12-20T21:03:00.000-08:00

Thank you to all who came to today's Winter Marmalade and Jam Exchange! It was a great success, what with a wide selection of marmalade, jams, jellies, chutneys, fresh fruit, and even chanterelles and olive oil, limoncello and orangecello.

Thanks to Scott for, once again, so generously hosting the Exchange.

Thanks to Rick for reading aloud his story of gleaning and pressing olives for oil in Davis.

And thank you to everyone who shared part of their afternoon with the Forage Oakland community. I apologize if I didn't get a chance to individually say goodbye, but it was a bit frenzied towards the end. There will be a similar exchange come spring, so do stay tuned.

If you took photos today and wouldn't mind sharing them (i.e. having them posted to the blog or sent to me for documentation's sake), please email them to forageoakland@gmail.com. I'd really appreciate it!

All images in this post are courtesy of Scott Whitten

Marmalade and Jam Exchange

2009-12-20T08:26:00.000-08:00

Hi All!

Just a quick reminder: the Forage Oakland Winter Marmalade and Jam exchange is today between 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm at 411 51st Street. So, if you are moved by the holiday spirit and in search of gifts, or if you would simply like to diversify your preserves supply, then do come!

Call (510) 289-7557 if you need directions.

Warmly,
Asiya

(the two images in this post were taken by Maria Gould at the February Marmalade and Jam Exchange)

Images from 'Persimmons for Later'

2009-12-15T21:37:00.000-08:00

"Peel the Persimmon"

Lulu & Howie (and Siew Chinn's hands, peeling the persimmon).

Below are images taken by Blair Sneddon at the opening for the Persimmons for Later installation currently at 18 Reasons. Thanks for the images, Blair, and thank you to those who came to watch the screening of the Viva's film!

************************************************************

Forage Oakland is hosting a winter marmalade and jam exchange! If you have fresh backyard fruit in abundance, you are welcome to bring that as well and barter for preserves (and vice versa). Ideally, preserves will have been made using surplus backyard fruit.

When: 20 December, 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Where: 411 51st Street in North Oakland
RSVP: (510) 289-7557 or forageoakland@gmail.com

If you are in a gift giving mood and looking for the perfect holiday gift, come to the exchange and leave with an armful of jams.

*Thank you*

Here are two images of a peeled hachiya persimmons that will eventually dry to become hoshi gaki. I came across this image several years ago and was quite taken by it. It was originally discovered on sOs' photostream on Flickr.

Below are two stills from Viva's video. The eight minute video should be uploaded to this blog relatively soon; Siew Chinn will walk you through the initial steps of making hoshi gaki.

Below is an image of Rosie, the curator at 18 Reasons, giving a persimmon a gentle massage, as she does every few days to aid in the distribution of the sugars.

Forage Oakland harvesting activities will resume in earnest in January, so please stay tuned!

Civil Eats, 2 December

2009-12-09T10:13:00.000-08:00

Below is my December Civil Eats Hachiya Persimmon piece:

Each year, between November and February, slowly and intently, hachiya persimmon altars begin to take root in my North Oakland apartment. They form on my kitchen window sill; on my bedroom dresser; on my dining room table; on my office desk. I fall into the familiar habit of always having one or two persimmons in my bag in case, in the course of the day’s travels, I meet a neighbor to whom I’d like to bestow a persimmon.

The first time I saw a persimmon was in my North Oakland neighborhood in California. The exact moment is now foggy in my memory, but the sensation remains clear, that quickening of the heart, that sudden unbelievable joy at such an unexpected fruit in the dead of winter. Now, four years later, I am on a train that has just departed the station in Bra, Italy, and I am heading towards Carmagnola. On the train ride, I’ve passed the most haphazard (insofar as their use of all possible available space) and well-tended orchards that nearly abut the train. And just a moment ago, the train crept along as Italian trains can, and in plain sight, we passed an orchard of hachiya persimmons. A few of the fruits were ripening, but by and large, the tree bore matte lime green fruit, with a few glossy orange globes towards the top. Each time I unexpectedly find myself in sight of a persimmon tree, the same heart-quickening sensation returns, the feeling as lucid as the first time I saw the fruit in Oakland.

What I remember most about that first time are the contrasts; the tree, heavy with fruit, so weighty, and still so unassuming in the dusk’s haze, glowing sweetly. And by this point, by the time the fruit is ripening, almost all the leaves have fallen, leaving absolutely no shield for the radiant orange fruit. They glow, almost unnaturally. I was riding my bicycle and paused in front of the tree, so struck by it. I think years from now, long after I’ve moved on from the Bay Area, the memory of winter persimmons will remain luminescent and magnificent, probably as clear as the day I first spotted the tree.

Persimmons may also hold a special place in my heart because I associate them with generosity. Inevitably when I meet someone who has a persimmon tree and I ask if I am able to harvest some of the fruit, they show an uncommon generosity with the fruit. This generosity does not stem from the desperate desire to rid themselves of the fruit, but I believe that it comes from a shared passion that cannot help but spawn the urgent desire to share.

Here is a case in point. Once, last November, just days before I was leaving for Rome, I was walking in South Berkeley with two friends. We parted ways, I was a bit dismayed from not having found a single viable fruit tree to harvest in our walk around the neighborhood. Just as I turned the corner from King to Woolsey Street, I spotted a middle age man, tenderly pruning his fuyu persimmon tree. Overjoyed, I collected myself and we chatted for a bit. He told me that he had more persimmons than he and his wife could eat this season. He sent me home with two brown lunch bags full of beautiful, ripening orange fuyus.

The morning I left for Rome, I cycled around Temescal and Lower Rockridge, running last minute neighborhood errands. I left my fruit picker with Jenn; a bag of apples for the next door neighbors; a thank you note to Linda for the figs. The fuyus I’d been gifted the previous week by the kind man on Woolsey Street were left on the doorstep of another neighbor. In what I thought was this woman’s front yard, there was a handsome hachiya persimmon tree, laden with fruit. Several years prior, I had left the woman a note requesting permission to harvest from her tree. Several days later, she delivered a bag of hachiyas to my front door step along with a note. For some reason, maybe because I was so taken with this tree and thus even more terrified of rejection, I had not approached the woman for two years, but instead, I watched the fruit ripen from a distance, and cycled past in the evening as the fruit shone in the dim light. I re-introduced myself and asked if it might be okay, once again, to harvest several fruit. She told me that she was not particularly fond of hachiya persimmons, but she adored fuyus. As a thank you for her kindness, I cycled over to her house, and I left the bag of fuyus on the porch bench.

Last year, I had the pleasure to create a hanging persimmon installation at August, a boutique clothing shop on College Avenue in the Rockridge neighborhood of Oakland. I cycled around the neighborhood, tapping all my persimmon leads, asking each household if I might harvest several fruits for the show. One house, which has two full hachiya trees on the terraced front garden, allowed me to harvest ten persimmons — such generosity in the wake of such a demand! Every year, this woman is inundated with requests from passers by to harvest from her stately persimmon trees, and she still managed to display such warmth and openness in honoring my request. I harvested the ten fruits well after nightfall, replete with head lamp, and a bicycle basket already full of persimmons gathered from other neighborhood trees. Each time I cycle past this house, I am reminded of the relationship that I have with the woman who lives there. She requested grapefruit in exchange, and once the fruits were ripe, I left a bag on the doorstep with a note explaining the location of the grapefruit tree. There is little like an un-seasonally warm April day, clear skies and the acrid smell of heaps of grapefruit, which have been warming and rotting in the April sun. As soon as you reach the top of a certain hill in Upper Rockridge, you won’t help but be able to notice the smell of the grapefruit, and at least for me, even as I bike past this intersection when grapefruits are not falling and rotting, and smell still hangs heavy in the air.

Lastly, here is a fond memory of a persimmon harvest with my friend Megan during the autumn of 2005. Megan and I cycled towards downtown Berkeley one October afternoon in search of two persimmon trees which Megan had spotted earlier in the season when the fruit was not yet ripe. We had a general idea of the location of the tree, we wove our way around the streets west of the Berkeley farmer’s market until we gleefully happened upon the hachiya trees, which were so heavy with ripe fruit — and also completely out of reach. The tree was glimmering with orange spheres, but it would take either a very confident tree climber or a ladder if we really were to do a serious job on the tree. So, we paused and considered the options, after unsuccessfully trying to scale the lower branches of the tree in order to gain footing to reach the higher limbs. Just at this moment appeared a man who looked like he’d definitely have a ladder in his shed. He did, and he kindly lent it to Megan and me for the afternoon, as we precariously repositioned the ladder, trying our best to harvest the fruit on the outlying limbs of the trees. Somehow, it becomes so tempting to reach for the fruit that is just out of reach. Megan and I were a veritable two person assembly line, alternating between me being in the tree and passing fruit to Megan below, and Megan scaling the ladder and passing down fruit to me.

Eventually, a small but enthusiastic crowd gathered at the trunk, mostly inquiring after the fruit that was being harvested, and there were a few sheepish requests for persimmons as well. Amongst the requests was also a rather forthright demand for ‘more fruit!’ by an older woman who spoke very limited English. Although the language barrier prevented us from exchanging love stories of the persimmon tree, what I did gather was that she had harvested fruit from the trees in prior season, and she arrived with three empty plastic bags, and she requested particular fruits to harvest.

Now, I am in Biella, Italy, a small town in the northern Piedmont region. One Saturday afternoon, at the height of the July heat, Bona and I wondered around a neighborhood southeast of the city center, hoping to eventually find the open market. Before we found the market, we happened upon a beautifully imposing hachiya persimmon tree on Via Addis Abeba. The tree sits on the edge of a lot which is also home to a black walnut tree, a plum tree, and a swath of blackberries. The house that sits in the middle of the lot appears abandoned, and I wonder what will come of the persimmons once they begin to ripen this late autumn, after I’ve moved on from Biella. I have a feeling that the fruit, will, as is so common with persimmons, have countless takers, and there will not be the sad sight of heaps of rotting persimmons at the base of the trunk. While it would be a perfect end to my four month stay in this sleepy town, I doubt I’ll be able to end my stay with a persimmon harvest. But, it’s my hope that all those who are lucky enough to enjoy the fruit enjoy the process thoroughly- from spotting the tree to gathering friends to harvest to patiently waiting for the fruit to ripen and finally, to breaking the little hachiya peak with a grapefruit spoon and savoring the season’s first spoonful of unadulterated neighborhood persimmon.

18 Reasons Opening

2009-12-08T10:30:00.000-08:00

photo: Maria Gould

Please join me at 18 Reasons this Friday, 11 December 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm for the opening of my show, Persimmons for Later. I have collaborated with Siew-Chinn Chin and Viva Barrows-Friedman to create a hoshi gaki exhibit that pays homage to the traditional craft of hanging and drying of hachiya persimmons. Twenty-six Park Avenue persimmons have been peeled and hung throughout the gallery, and with the help of Rosie Gill and Lulu McClellan, the persimmons will be massaged to produced the succulent, preserved hachiyas that we know and love.

Viva Barrows Friedman, Siew-Chinn Chin, and I have collaborated to produce an instructional hoshi gaki video as well, and it will be screened at the opening.

Please stop by to say hello and enjoy persimmon pudding made by Stacie Pierce. Other snacks have generously been provided by Bi Rite Market.

Thank you!

Sincerely,
Asiya

Hachiya Persimmons: a call

2009-12-01T10:53:00.001-08:00

If you or someone you know has hachiya persimmons in excess, please call me as soon as possible: (510) 289-7557. I am specifically looking to harvest trees in central or south Berkeley, and neighborhoods in North Oakland.

Also, please visit this site: Bristol Food for Free.

Sincerely,
Asiya

Holiday Marmalade and Jam Exchange/ Persimmon Soiree

2009-11-23T10:38:00.001-08:00

Hi Everyone,

You are all cordially invited to the Forage Oakland Winter Marmalade and Jam exchange/ Persimmon Soiree on 20 December 2009. Please bring your jams, marmalade, chutneys, and other preserves to 411 51st Street between 1:00 and 3:00 pm. If you have fresh backyard fruit in abundance, you are welcome to bring that as well and barter for preserves (and vice versa).
Ideally, preserves will have been made using surplus backyard fruit.

And let's give three cheers for our generous host Scott!

When: 20 December, 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Where: 411 51st Street in North Oakland
RSVP: (510) 289-7557 or forageoakland@gmail.com

If you are in a gift giving mood and looking for the perfect holiday gift, come to the exchange and leave with an armful of jams.

I will be sharing information about Forage Oakland and first steps on how to start your own neighborhood barter project.

This event is free and open to the public.

xoxo,
Asiya at Forage Oakland

Promita's Pears

2009-11-23T10:20:00.001-08:00

Pears on the mantle before they are bagged and redistributed.

Harvesting Promita's pears. Pears were exchanged for hachiya persimmons, which are to be delivered today.

Autumn Persimmon Event

2009-11-12T11:52:00.000-08:00

10:30 am: we three gathered at the corner of 29th and Broadway and harvested hachiya and fuyu persimmons. In exchange, we left the persimmon tree owners a bounty of pineapple guavas.

I am in the process of coordinating a persimmon event for the third week of December, so please do check back in the coming days as the details unfold.

Thank you!!

Prickly Pear Fruit + Pineapple Guava

2009-11-10T10:26:00.000-08:00

Prickly pear fruit in a cul-de-sac off Shafter.

Yesterday Monica introduced me to a row- a veritable orchard- of pineapple guava trees off Piedmont Avenue in North Oakland. We also harvested pineapple guava from a row of trees near the Rockridge Public Library. The scent will guide you.

Welcome, Oakland

2009-11-06T15:58:00.001-08:00

Forage Oakland activities should resume in the very near future, as I've returned from my sojourn to Italy. It's wonderful to be home, especially just in time for the autumn bounty of persimmons, pears, quince, and pomegranates.

Please do stay tuned for information about Forage Oakland public events in mid-November and December.

***

Civil Eats

2009-10-27T07:20:00.000-07:00

Hi there,

Please, if you'd like, read my following post from Civil Eats. Thank you and stay tuned for future Civil Eats posts.

-Asiya

Peak Ripeness Chart

2009-10-06T09:12:00.001-07:00

Ciao from Biella,

Below you will find a chart for peak ripeness of fruits commonly found in Berkeley and Oakland backyards. Double click on the image to view a larger version. Apologies for the poor quality, and I will post a clearer copy soon.

Sincerely,
Asiya

Autumn in Oakland

2009-09-24T01:40:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Monica for these images of autumn in Oakland. I will return to Oakland in about 5 weeks, and regular Forage Oakland activities should resume at that time. Please stay tuned for more details!

North Oakland pears.

Oh, and the prized quince.

Thanks for your contributions!

2009-09-10T03:01:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

Thanks to everyone for their contributions for the Forage Oakland 'How To' guide. If you've thought about contributing, please do- it's not too late! Read the preceding post for more information on what exactly I'm looking for, and once you've gotten your submission together, send it to forageoakland@gmail.com.

And please spread the word!

Sincerely,
Asiya at Forage Oakland

Call for Submissions

2009-08-29T04:04:00.000-07:00

Apple harvest 08/12 near Shattuck & 65th Street
photo by Sarah.

And again, the apple harvest

Your Help Is Requested

Hello Friends and Friends of Friends,

As you may know, I am currently completing a residency at the Fondazione Pistoletto in Biella, Italy where I am working on the beginning stages of a neighborhood fruit harvesting guide, essentially lessons that I've learned in establishing Forage Oakland. Forage Oakland is a backyard barter network based in Oakland, California, whereby residents barter their surplus backyard fruit with their North Oakland and South Berkeley neighbors. As Forage Oakland receives more press, the number of requests for ‘How To’ information has increased. Inquiries range from ‘How do I approach my neighbors when requesting surplus fruit?’ to ‘How, practically speaking, did you begin your neighborhood barter project?’. I thought it could be useful to compile this information into a ‘How To’ guide, and thus the idea for the guide was borne. I hope that the guide will be a useful tool for other Bay Area communities as they establish their own neighborhood fruit barter networks, and it can serve as a framework for establishing similar projects (not only projects that address the redistribution of excess fruit).

I would like to include a profile of all fruits that can be found in North Oakland and South Berkeley neighborhoods, and I would like to include an associated memory, experience, and recipe along with the each fruit's profile. I would very much like this to be a community affair where all are welcome to contribute recipes, memories (i.e. first impressions; memories of a specific harvest, the meeting of a neighbor whose fruit you've adored from afar, etc.), and experiences. Anyone who has experienced the delight of Berkeley and Oakland’s backyard fruit bounty is encouraged to participate (San Francisco fruit memories are welcome, too.).

I will need all anecdotes, recipes, images, and two-sentence text messages by 10 September. This will only take a moment and your help would be greatly appreciated. Please forward widely!

Below is a list of fruits of Oakland/ Berkeley. You are welcome to write a memory relating to any of the fruits listed. If you find that a fruit has accidentally been omitted from this list, please feel free to add it and note a fond association.

Apples
Apricots
Avocado
Blackberries
Cherries
Elderberries
Elderflowers
Eureka Lemons
Figs
Fuyu Persimmons
Grapefruit
Hachiya Persimmons
Hazelnuts
Loquats
Meyer lemons
Nectarines
Oranges
Passion Fruit
Peaches
Pears
Pineapple Guava
Plums
Quince
Tamarillo
Walnuts

I can be reached through standard mail or electronically:

Asiya Wadud
Via Serralunga 27
13900 Biella
Italia

Text or phone call: +39 340 547 3479
Blog, and leave a comment in the most recent post (comments will not be published on the blog): www.forageoakland.blogspot.com
Email: forageoakland@gmail.com

Thank you in advance!

Blueberries, elderberries, and figs.

2009-07-29T06:48:00.000-07:00

Although these are not images of fruit in and around Oakland, I'll post them anyway, mostly as a way of sharing what I'm finding here in Biella, Italy. I will continue to do this until November.

Blueberries found while walking in Oropa.

Figs in the public park near the Esselunga in Biella.

Elderberries from the path near the swimming hole, behind San Giuseppe.

Elderberries and sage, ready for jamming.

Urban Harvesting Projects the World Over

2009-07-27T07:19:00.000-07:00

Please note that the Forage Oakland sidebar (very bottom right-hand side) now includes links to other urban harvesting projects the world over. Locally, projects exist in Berkeley, San Jose, West Marin, Alameda, San Francisco, and there are other harvesting projects within Oakland as well. Internationally, there are projects in Sheffield, UK, Manchester, and Toronto.

***

Thank You// Biella

2009-07-16T07:00:00.000-07:00

Dear Everyone,

Belatedly, I'd like to thank everyone who played a role in making the Moroccan dinner on 7 June such a success. Thank you to the following people, especially:

Suzanne + Stan: the hosts extraordinaire
Jerome: chef and mastermind until the end; Sherpa
Stacie: pastry chef, rose ice cream wonder
Kelsie: able, energetic, and kind cook
Siew Chinn: able, energetic, and kind cook
Clare: logistics and aesthetics, i.e. readying the backyard for the party
Maria: bouncer
Sam + Simone: Thank you for harvesting mulberries; general set up and clean up

Dinner was beautiful and it all came together in a way that felt very magical and really, a perfect send off. My only regret is that I did not give a small speech, which may have brought the evening together for those who were less familiar with Forage Oakland. But, I suppose I know for next time and that is what I'll do.

Upon arrival, each guest was given a copy of the Forage Oakland Manifesto (which can also be found here) and a menu.

Below are several images of the dinner, courtesy of Ashley and Maria.

Daniel and Howie

The guest and the mulberry tree in the background

Meringue and the tray of cookies, cookies and meringue which were served with the rose ice cream

First course of fish cakes with cucumber chutney and grilled scallions

The menu, at our ticket collection post

7 June began with the Localize! Environmental Activism at the Grassroots event at the Berkeley Art Museum, where Oakland-based groups showcased their community-based projects and engaged the public in hands-on activities. I hosted an intimate marmalade and jam exchange, and below are a few photos from the event.

Here we have Ron's honey, most of which were traded for jams and marmalades: plum jam, apricot jam, grapefruit marmalade and ponderosa lemon marmalade.

Ron, preparing a taste of honey.

Below are several images for the Temescal Seed Swap's seed cart, which collects seeds from the Temescal neighborhood in Oakland and facilitates seed exchanges. One can visit the cart, present seeds to add to the catalogue, and in turn, one can leave with a business size envelope of a different neighborhood seed.

Nowadays, I am in Biella, Italy, completing a residency at the Fondazione Pistoletto. I will remain in Europe until early November, and will gratefully be home just in time for the hachiya persimmon and quince harvest.

I am just beginning work on a neighborhood harvest guide which will essentially be a collection of essays of lessons I've learned in establishing Forage Oakland. It is my hope that any community might be able to use the guide in establishing their own neighborhood barter project. When the guide is completed, it will be available through this blog.

If you believe that this work could be valuable for your community and you'd like to make a financial contribution, follow this link. Thank you!

Below are several images of fruit sightings in Biella.

Nespola from Rinco

Natalia in Rinco, three varieties of plums.

Chestnuts in Rinco, 103 degrees Fahrenheit

And just after the rains in Rinco, plums.

Monica in Piedicavallo, elderflowers.

Quince, on the walk from the train station.

And plums just behind the laundry shed.

Forage Oakland: the summer and the autumn

2009-06-18T14:36:00.000-07:00

Though I will be out of town until early November, there will be a team of North Oakland residents tending to Forage Oakland this summer and autumn. In the near future, I will introduce them here. And also, if you've written to forageoakland@gmail.com offering your help, thank you! I've been traveling the last 10 days, but I will be in touch with you in the near future.

Thank you to everyone!

In addition, I will soon post photos from the Forage Oakland fundraising dinner, which was a great success.

Reservations Closed, thank you!

2009-06-06T09:12:00.000-07:00

Thanks for rsvp-ing. Reservations for the Forage Oakland Benefit/ Moroccan Feast are closed.

Cross Currents

2009-06-02T17:08:00.000-07:00

If you're near your radio, tune into 91.7 KALW. Ali Budner has produced a piece about Forage Oakland, and it'll air between 5:00 pm and 5:30 pm this evening. Or, you can listen to the segment here.

Lower Bottom Healthy Living Street Festival

2009-05-31T09:00:00.000-07:00

Come visit Forage Oakland's table at the Lower Bottom Healthy Living Street Festival happening today in West Oakland between 1:00 pm and 5:00 pm! I will be presenting information on how to establish a West Oakland chapter of Forage Oakland, and other projects we love will also be represented, i.e. City Slicker Farms.

RSVP

2009-05-28T08:56:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all who've rsvp-ed for dinner on 7 June and for the Localize! event at the Berkeley Art Museum. This Sunday, I will send an email to all those coming to dinner and will give you a bit more information, i.e. exact location. There is still space available for dinner.

If you cannot come to dinner but would still like to support the work of Forage Oakland, and specifically the work taking place this summer/ autumn, your donations will be welcome. Between June and November of this year, I will work on writing a guide of sorts, lessons I've learned from working on this project for the past 1+ year. This work will take place in Biella, Italy, and when I return, the guide will be made available to anyone who'd like to establish his or her own urban backyard barter network. Look to the right sidebar and scroll down to the 'Donate' button. Thank you!

Sincerely,
Asiya

Loquats, an open call

2009-05-25T10:49:00.000-07:00

Now is the time of year, the liminal time when we can fairly say we are sated with citrus, but stone fruit is not quite ready for harvest. What does that leave us? It leaves us the loquat. Loquats are often overlooked, and this year, I'd like to harvest- en masse- the loquat. If you have a tree and would like to make it available for harvest, please do email forageoakland@gmail.com and we can arrange a harvest time. Loquats make good chutneys, jams, and jellies.

7 June: Moroccan Feast + Benefit for Forage Oakland

2009-05-22T17:11:00.000-07:00

Dinner will be chef-ed by Jerome Waag, Chez Panisse and OPEN Restaurant cook.
Also, dinner will be served at 7:00 pm
Post this announcement widely!

Forage Oakland & KQED

2009-05-22T16:20:00.000-07:00

If you're near your radio and in the Bay Area, tune it to 88.5 FM and listen to the California Report, which is featuring a story on urban foraging (with Forage Oakland). The story airs at 4:30 pm and 6:00 pm.

7 June, Save the Date

2009-05-15T16:25:00.000-07:00

You are all cordially invited to attend a going away (for now) party, which will take place 7 June, Sunday, at a house in South Berkeley. Hopefully, I will also introduce the team of people who will manage Forage Oakland while I am away.

Earlier in the evening, there will be a formal dinner in the backyard, a sliding scale fundraiser of sorts. Jerome Waag of OPEN Restaurant and Chez Panisse will be chef-ing, which guarantees a delicious meal. Ticket prices will be posted soon, as well as the exact location of the event (once I assure that publicly posting it is okay with the kind hosts).

Lastly, 7 June is also the Localize! Community Activism at the Grassroots show at the Berkeley Arts Museum. Do come to the museum between 11:00 am and 3:00 pm to participate in a public jam exchange (sponsored by Forage Oakland), among other great events. Bring the family, bring the marmalade and jam, and bring yourselves.

***

Meet your neighbors

2009-05-04T18:10:00.000-07:00

hachiya persimmons, circa 2005 in my former Lawton Ave kitchen

Here is something heart warming and inspiring:

Fifteen months ago, after spending more than two years creating micro neighborhood maps detailing the edibles in my various North Oakland neighborhoods, I formally embarked on attempting to share what I'd learned over my time harvesting backyard fruit in North Oakland and South Berkeley. As a transplant to this area, I believe I will never stop being completely in awe of the prolific bounty of fruit that can be found in backyards in Oakland, and I will also always be fascinated by fruit tree owners' relationship with the trees they find growing in the front and backyards. These trees might have been planted years ago and the original planters may have long ago moved on, leaving the tree they planted as a monument to an era when we planted fruit trees out of necessity and nostalgia. Now, a generation later, there is the totem that- sadly- may be forgotten every late summer, and rather than longing for the sweet black mission figs of late summer, we may see them as a curse, a nuisance, or a burden. This is a result of our lives becoming so busy that rather than harvesting our backyard apples, we opt for the convenience of buying apples at the supermarket.

But, if you ever find yourself so downtrodden about the state of the state, I urge you to meander down your street and neighboring streets and make a tentative map of the fruit trees that you can spot from the sidewalk. Armed with that map, muster up a bit of courage and knock on the door of a neighbor and ask if you might sample- at this time of the year- an orange, a grapefruit, a meyer lemon, a loquat. I assure you that if you ask politely and introduce yourself as a neighbor, you will so disarm the person at the door, and they will undoubtedly, resoundingly, say yes. It is heartwarming and inspiring to know that in our cities, these small and meaningful intervention can take place. I see interventions such as this working to recreate the fabric of our cities, weaving a landscape that is earnest, kind, and self-sufficient.

Or, if you'd like to give your neighbor time to ruminate, here is an example of a card you can leave said neighbor:

Each time I leave a note or knock on a front door, the introvert in me is terrified for a short moment, but that quickly subsides when some kind soul answers the door- a bit skeptical at first. That changes when it's realized that all I'd really like are green walnuts in exchange for Santa Rosa plums. Visit your neighbors. Chances are, they'll teach you something new.

Candied Citrus Peel

2009-04-30T10:57:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, 26 April, the third Forage Oakland public event was held, which once again took place at Scott's Temescal home. Scott was kind enough to open his home to about 25 eager fruit mongers, and here is what the day's events were like:

1. An introduction of Forage Oakland, for those who don't know the project very well; guests arrive, and Jan, one of the guest bring along beautiful meyer lemons, which feature prominently in the day's events.

2. Chatting with the neighbors, etc.

3. Iso gives a demonstration on how to make limoncello using Jan's meyer lemons

lemons peels immersed in vodka, and whole, unpeeled lemons tied in preparation for their hanging just above the vodka.

4. Stacie gives a candied meyer lemon peel demonstration with said meyer lemons. Please visit this photo album for the illustrated, step-by-step recap.

5. Lemonade is make with the juice of the meyer lemons

6. We gather a crew and walk two houses east to harvest two lemon trees and an orange tree in the backyard

Separating the edible oranges from the compost

Good enough to eat

7. We return and say our goodbyes, with a few staying on to chat and see the candied peels to the drying rack.

And below we have the candied citrus peel recipe, as presented by Stacie on Sunday.

Meyer lemon: blanch 3 times total and simmer on the 3^rd until knife tender

Valencia/navel oranges,mandarins, and tangerines: blanch 3 times total and simmer on the 3^rduntil knife tender

Grapefruit and blood oranges: blanch 4 times total and simmer on the 4^thuntil knife tender

Blanching: place citrus cups in a pot and cover with cold water (just enough to cover peel) and bring to a boil, strain water well and start process over again with cold water.

On the last blanch, bring to a boil, but do not strain the water, reduce the heat to simmer and continue to cook the cups until knife tender. Once knife tender, strain well and let cool.

Once cool, scoop the inner pith with a spoon and remove the membrane inside where the stem attaches to outside. Do not remove too much of the pith. The pith is what allows the candy peels to have a nice soft texture.

Cut peel into nice long strips.

Once you have your citrus strips ready to go, make your simple syrup.

Simple syrup is 2 parts sugar to 1 part water, put this all into the pot, stir, and heat making sure that the sugar is completely dissolved. Once the sugar is dissolved, add peel. You should make enough so that the peel strips will be covered in the pot and can float around somewhat freely. If the pot is overcrowded, the peels will candy unevenly—in this case it is better to get a second pot. Bring the syrup to a simmer and do not stir—stirring may cause the sugar syrup to crystallize. The peel should stay at a simmer, do not let boil too rapidly.

Cook until just translucent. When the peel is nearly done, the syrup bubbles will be quite small “champagne bubbles”, once you’re there check for translucency and taste to see if peel is fully candied. Be sure not to overcook Meyer lemon, it caramelizes easily.

Once peels are translucent, you can lay them out to dry on cooling rack that has been placed on a cookie sheet covered in parchment or wax paper. Using a slotted spoon, lift peels out of the syrup letting as much syrup drain off as you can and spread them on the cooling rack – try to spread them out evenly in a single layer so they will dry evenly (use as many cooling racks as needed for this).

Dry peels overnight or until they feel slightly tacky to the touch. Coat them in granulated sugar (sifting off the excess) and serve. They can also be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one year.

The leftover syrup can also be saved and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Use to sweeten lemonade, cocktails, whatever...

Mobile Fruit Tree Cart

2009-04-30T08:51:00.000-07:00

Good Morning All

Please do stay tuned for the Berkeley Art Museum Jam Exchange, which is to take place on 7 June, and is free and open to the public. The jam exchange is part of a larger event called Localize! Environmental Activism at the Grassroots. For those of you who have recently stumbled upon this project, I'd like to give an updated synopsis of it, so that all is clear.

Forage Oakland is a backyard barter network that gathers North Oaklanders around the shared community asset of surplus fruit. Anyone who lives in neighborhoods in North Oakland or South Berkeley is free to join the project and barter their excess fruit with their neighbors in North Oakland and South Berkeley. Exchanges are made with said neighbors, sometimes instantly, but more often, inter-seasonal exchanges are made, i.e. a harvest of hachiya persimmons in the late autumn for the promise of Santa Rosa plums come summer. In this way, too, one becomes increasingly aware of what fruits are in season when, and this knowledge will hopefully encourage one to really develop an understanding of how eating within the seasons can address a handful of issues in one go.

Forage Oakland is a barter project, which means fruit is never sold or harvested under any dubious circumstances. An apple is an apple, and an apple will be bartered for, possibly, a pear.

Ultimately, Forage Oakland should be a project that can sustain itself, having spent time establishing a foundation and a network of committed and loyal Oaklanders who posit themselves within this little movement, and who will be quite glad to gather a handful of harvesters and glean an orange tree, say. Said oranges can then be redistributed within the neighborhood. Eventually, Forage Oakland's membership will be open to fruit tree owners and non-fruit tree owners alike, with non-fruit tree owners being able to contribute in other ways. For example an offer of making Forage Oakland deliveries can result in an exchange of fresh, sun-warmed blackberries.

My hope is that Forage Oakland can become a project that situates itself in the neighborhood in a way that allows it to flourish even after my departure. No one will need to be at the helm, so to speak, rather a committed group of Oaklanders will ensure its survival.

Here are tentative ideas I've had regarding the development of Forage Oakland:

Fruit Tree Steward Project: a collaborative neighborhood fruit tree planting project involving students, residents of a given neighborhood and possibly funding from the City of Oakland to plant fruit trees.

Mobile Fruit Tree Cart: Following the gleaning for a prolific fruit tree, the mobile fruit tree cart will deliver fresh fruit to anyone in the neighborhood who'd like to receive it. There is small grant to make this project a reality.

***

A regular Forage Oakland public event will take place each month now, so please do stay tuned for May's event. The calendar is not up quite yet, but it should be up soon enough.

If you think this project is doing valuable work, please do donate. Thank you!

Citrus Soiree, Sunday 26 April

2009-04-29T09:07:00.000-07:00

Sunday was a very lovely day, and I'll give a full briefing of it later. For now, suffice to say that activities included the harvesting of two lemon trees; harvesting an orange tree; making lemonade with meyer lemons brought by Jan; a limoncello demo by Iso; and a candied meyer lemon demonstration by Stacie. Fresh citrus and preserved citrus was also brought along to swap.

Here are several photos and later today I will post the candied peel recipe and more information about Sunday and future events.

Jasmine blossoms + lavender

2009-04-15T23:25:00.000-07:00

Jasmine blossom and lavender harvesting yesterday at the house of Sam and Oliver (photo: Oliver Monday).

Last week, I sent an announcement to the Forage Oakland mailing list detailing upcoming events. Here are a couple of excerpts, in addition to the PlaySpace networking/ opening party Friday evening:

Seeking Fruit Delivery Cyclists

Having a year under my belt, a few things are clear to me now, one of which is the importance of having regularly scheduled harvest and delivery days. I'd like to experiment with Tuesdays and Sundays as spring harvest days and Wednesday and Thursday as spring delivery days. While it's best to keep to these days, please do let me know if these days don't agree with your schedule so that we might make other arrangements.

I am seeking a small crew of cyclists to make deliveries in and around the North Oakland/ South Berkeley neighborhood at most twice a week. This would be a six month commitment-- great fun, and very satisfying. It would basically entail you meeting me or a Forage Oakland volunteer who would hand off a small brown paper bag package (or two) full of neighborhood fruit. A delivery address will be given, and you can expect to bike to the house in no more than twenty minutes. Fruit deliveries can usually be left on the front doorstep unless specific directions are given otherwise. Once you have left the fruit, you'll contact me to let me know the delivery has been made.

It promises to be a lovely way to meet your neighbors, enjoy the spring time weather, and learn a new geography of how fruit travels from one hand to the next, and you'll have the satisfaction of knowing that you've played a part in it all. If this appeals to you, please email me. If you've previously emailed me expressing interest in becoming a Forage Oakland harvester, this might be a good alternative. Assembling a harvesting crew proved to have legal impediments (i.e. purchasing accident insurance, for example) that might be more costly than it's worth. You are encouraged and welcome to make the entire experience quite interactive, i.e. record the fruit harvest; processing; packaging; cycling to the delivery home; and the delivery itself. Or, photos could be taken as well. Or a hand drawn map of the cycled route could be included. It is up to you.

And also

There has been quite a bit of interest in mapping the public and private fruit trees in Berkeley and Oakland, and at this point, we are in danger of reinventing the wheel. Several projects are mapping overlapping neighborhoods, and rather than waste time and resources, why not collaborate? I propose that we start a wiki for anyone who is actively mapping fruit tree locations in East Bay neighborhoods. While it seems next to impossible to ever actually coordinate schedules to meet in person, this great Internet has made it entirely possible that we can accomplish a fair amount of useful work online, and then meet periodically to celebrate and share our work with one another. If you are interested in being part of an East Bay fruit tree mapper wiki, email me. Let us collaborate and create a tool that can be useful to many. Together we can decide what form it can take and what sort of information will be disseminated.

Please email me directly if either of these propositions sound appealing: forageoakland@gmail.com.

Citrus Soiree, 26 April

2009-04-11T13:25:00.000-07:00

Please mark your calendars on 26 April between 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm for a Forage Oakland Citrus soiree that will include the following:

1) Marmalade/jam/ syrup exchange (for those of you who missed the first event, or who'd just like to replenish your supply)
2) Citrus harvest party (in which several prolific neighborhood citrus trees will be harvested. The fruit will be brought back to the host's house, processed and redistributed to everyone in attendance)
3) 'Preserved Lemon' demo
4) Copies of various citrus themed recipes for all attendees to take home
5) Limoncello how-to

The event will once again take place at Scott's lovely home, located at 411 51st St., Temescal, North Oakland. It'll be an afternoon of meeting the North Oakland/ South Berkeley neighbors (though this event is open to anyone, whether or not you live within the Forage Oakland radius); exchanging recipes; enjoying the early spring weather; trying your hand at using a fruit picker; and really just an excuse for Sunday afternoon revelry. If you are interested in attending, please do RSVP so that I might let our generous host know how many to expect. You can call (510) 289-7557 and leave a voice message, or better yet, email forageoakland@gmail.com. Bring your children, too!

Grapefruits Are In

2009-04-02T15:31:00.001-07:00

Chabot Street grapefruit.

And again.

On Wednesday, after being away for a week, I returned to find Monica at the front door with a large bag of Chabot Street grapefruit in hand. Thanks to Monica, there are grapefruit to share. If you'd like to sample grapefruit, please send an email to forageoakland@gmail.com

Meyer Lemons

2009-03-25T11:44:00.000-07:00

In April, there will be a Forage Oakland Citrus Party, which will include marmalade making; exchanging of recipes; enrolling new Forage Oakland members; and just all around revelry. When I am back in town next week, I will post more details.

In the meantime, do post comments with favorite meyer lemon recipes.

Happy Birthday, Forage Oakland

2009-03-19T22:23:00.000-07:00

Today Forage Oakland turns 1. This weekend promises a grapefruit harvest, lemon harvests, and two very small canning projects.

Stay tuned for quite a bit more on this subject.

(The above image is a poster from the very beginning, when I was quite ambitious and imagined I could really manage a bartering network in San Francisco as well, and also thought I might include vegetables in the exchange. Now, though, Forage Oakland has honed its reach, and is limited to those living in South Berkeley and North Oakland. In addition, Forage Oakland is specifically a fruit and nut exchange. In the near future, and very seasonally, maybe we'll barter edible flowers, too, since there appears to be an interest.)

Cheers,
Asiya

Agnès Varda; Grapefruit Marmalade; and Chickweed

2009-03-15T10:18:00.000-07:00

I discovered a sole passion fruit in the back of the fridge on Monday. Here, along with lemon verbena from Miles St., it is drying. My favorite way to eat a passion fruit is really straight from its cup, halving it, and scooping the flesh straight into my mouth.

Tuesday, after leaving class, I turned onto my block to discover a healthy and abundant patch of chickweed. Thus began the chickweed frenzy in earnest.

And Wednesday, I made 51st St. grapefruit marmalade, which yielded 17 jars of all sizes.

If you live in the Bay Area and have not seen the Gleaners and I, I highly recommend viewing it at UC Berkeley's Pacific Film Archive. It will be showing on the big screen Friday, 27 March and Saturday, 18 April.

*and*

If you are free this afternoon, do check out The Anarchist Bookfair, which is taking place at the San Francisco Fairground Building at the edge of Golden Gate Park. There are books and other media for purchase; free or virtually free media; lectures and panel discussions; and even vegetable and flower seeds for sale. The bookfair is taking place through the afternoon.

Forage Oakland Toolkit

2009-03-14T09:43:00.001-07:00

This summer I will be working on creating a toolkit, a guide- more or less, so that anyone, anywhere in the world can start their own foraged city barter network. A project can be started anywhere where there is urban fruit that is being under-utilized, which- I imagine- is in many cities throughout the world. The toolkit will be available to anyone, and will guide you through various aspects of starting your own barter network, i.e. how best to approach the neighbors; how to identify fruit in your community; how to equitably redistribute it; how to involve the neighbors. This is all to the end of creating a new collective consciousness around how we view our neighborhoods, how we interact with our neighbors, and how we can best be self-reliant and resourceful in our communities. Obviously, the barter is not a new concept, but it has fallen out of fashion so much so that it is considered quaint, charming, or even impractical. I'd like to refute this notion and present the barter as a viable means of community food security, albeit on a rather small scale, and a practical means of enjoying the season's bounty.

Stay Tuned

2009-03-12T09:33:00.001-07:00

This is going to be a spring filled with collaborations on many levels, and I'm looking forward to each of them. For starters, here are two confirmed events:

On Saturday, 14 March, I will be part of a panel discussion sponsored by the San Francisco Anarchist Bookfair which addresses innovative ways to survive the economic downturn.

Save the Date: Sunday, 7 June: Forage Oakland will participate in a community event held at the Berkeley Art Museum, which addresses participatory community activism at the grassroots level. Stay tuned for more details, please.

It's true.

2009-03-07T15:18:00.001-08:00

There are ripe loquats in the neighborhood, and Monica and I gorged ourselves on many today. Here are photos. Once there are enough for trade, we'll be able to break the wintry spell of the citrus, which is great in its own right. But who isn't ready for loquats, though?

This is what they look like once they're ripe-- this fuzzy peach-like skin and sour flesh.

Loquats (and Girl Scout 'Trefoil' Cookies).

Monica with loquats in hand.

Oranges.

2009-03-01T15:24:00.000-08:00

Today was the Orange Harvest Party + Brunch, which was great fun. We gathered at Helena's West Oakland house, which turned out to be a eden-like collective of houses that have a communal backyard that includes a mammoth orange tree; a very active rosemary bush; a rooster who pecks on the back door when it wants a snack; and an agave plant that bloomed last fall, that, at its height, was growing approximately a foot per day.

After brunch, we braved the rain and harvested oranges in the backyard. Here are photos from the day.

The fruit picker, one of two that were used for the harvesting.

Helena up the ladder and braving the rain.

Me, with the fruit picker.

Sam catching oranges from Helena.

Hannah with one of two full canvas bags.

And more oranges in the bag.

Sam's hands.

Fruit picker full of fruit.

Hannah harvesting chickweed (from the front yard) for the citrus and chickweed salad. Essentially, it was a Front Yard (chickweed)/ Back Yard (oranges) Salad.

And again.

Also...
Juicing Shafter Avenue oranges yesterday morning in preparation for making syrups for Aunt Carla.

Loquats and Orange Harvest + Brunch

2009-02-28T13:03:00.000-08:00

the first Temescal loquats (seeds) of the season!

If you RSVP-ed to the Orange Harvest + Brunch, you should've heard from me by now with details of the exact location. If not, send me an email and I will send you the address.

Sunday Orange Harvest Party

2009-02-26T09:14:00.000-08:00

(Shafter Ave. fresh squeezed orange juice)

Just a reminder, Helena Keefe, her lovely neighbors, and I are hosting an Orange Harvest Brunch Sunday, 1 March at their West Oakland home. Please email me directly if you'd like to come and you need the address. We'll have brunch at about 10:00 am and unless it's pouring (or maybe despite the rain...) , we'll harvest oranges from the prolific backyard orange tree. Everyone who comes and harvests oranges will receive a postcard to take home and take note of what they did with their portion of the oranges. This is an exercise in understanding the bounty of a single tree, and also the first phase of organizing the Forage Oakland Community Cookbook. Interested in coming? Email me!

xo,
Asiya

Citrus Harvest: Grapefruit, Oranges, and Lemons

2009-02-24T16:27:00.000-08:00

Nick, Evan, Daniel and I spent the better part of the day harvesting citrus in Lower Rockridge and Temescal. Evan and I thought about how all of us who've been independently mapping the fruit trees in our neighborhoods need to pow wow and share what information we've got. This means you.

51st St. grapefruit, which seem more bountiful than ever.

Evan's basket, filled with grapefruits, lemons, and oranges (which are not visible).

Nick eating a Shafter Ave. orange.

And Nick in the orange tree.

Daniel with orange.

My bicycle/ oranges.

My bicycle/ Daniel's bicycle.

If you'd like citrus, please email me directly at forageoakland@gmail.com

Marmalade Exchange

2009-02-22T17:44:00.000-08:00

Thanks to all who came to today's Marmalade Exchange, and a big thank you to Scott, our host! The Marmalade/ Jam Exchange will be a seasonal event, and if you'd like to learn more about the next event, please do sign up to receive the monthly Forage Oakland updates. We have these proposed events for which to look forward:

Bay Area Plum Harvest and Canning Day
'Homemade Tonics' Exchange
Community Canning Tutorials
Or click here to propose an event.

Here are several photos from the day:

Christina's spiced plum butter; apple sauce; and Parker Street lemon curd

Happiness.

Siew's citrus peel, 51st St. grapefruit, and jars and jars of jam and marmalade.

There is a prickly pear fruit hiding in the corner; city chicken eggs; more 51st St. grapefruit; and three jars of jam, the names of which I cannot read.

John's pears; Rachel's quince jelly; Scott's meyer lemon marmalade.

And here we have photos taken by Maria (thank you!):

More of Siew's citrus peel: grapefruit, navel orange, meyer lemon.

The lovely prickly pear fruit, which were mostly gifted.

51st St. grapefruit, also all gifted.

Monica and Asiya, with prickly pear fruit in hand.

Here is a list of the many varieties of jams and marmalades today:

Marmalade Exchange, tomorrow

2009-02-21T14:31:00.000-08:00

Thanks for RSVP-ing, and I'll see you tomorrow at the Marmalade/ Jam/ etc. exchange tomorrow. Just a reminder, the address is 411 51st St, North Oakland. Please call (510) 289-7557 with any last minute questions.

Aunt Carla's Eggs

2009-02-20T08:09:00.000-08:00

Hi,

All Aunt Carla's eggs have been claimed, but if there is a surplus in the future, then they will become available again. If you're interested in receiving eggs on a regular basis, follow this link.

Marmalade Exchange and other upcoming events

2009-02-19T00:59:00.000-08:00

Forage Oakland Marmalade/ Jam Exchange

Sunday, February 22, 2009, 11:00 am - 12:00 pm

Hello!

You are cordially invited to attend the first seasonal Forage Oakland Marmalade/ Jam/ Syrup/ And Such Exchange. The exchange will take place on Sunday, February 22, 2009, between 11:00 am and 12:00 pm and will be held at a private residence in Temescal (in close proximity to the Sunday Temescal Famer's Market). The exact location is 411 51st St., Oakland. Come and meet your jamming neighbors, sign up for Forage Oakland, and pick up a jar of jam on your way to the farmer's market. Please RSVP so that I can gage general interest in the exchange, and so I can tell the host how many people to expect.

If you are unable to attend the marmalade exchange, but would still like to partake in the fun, email me and we can arrange a time to collect the goods between now and Sunday.

Though I think it is implicit, the jams should be home made.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Other Upcoming Events

Orange Harvest Party

Helene and her neighbors are hosting an orange/ rosemary harvest party on Sunday, 1 March. I'd like to extend the invitation to others who might like to join in on the fun. Bring something to share for brunch, fruit picker if you have one (or long, limber arms), and bags for collecting fruit. I will be handing out postcards to all who come Sunday so that they can document how they used the rosemary and oranges (as a means of showing how bountiful a single tree can be). Also, several recipes will be available to take home. If you're interested in attending this event, please email me directly as space is quite limited. It will take place between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm in West Oakland.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Aunt Carla's Chickens' Eggs

A limited number of Forage Oakland chickens' eggs are available for gift or barter. If you'd like to receive Aunt Carla's chickens' eggs, please send me an email.

Thank you and see you on the 22 February or 1 March!

Yours,

Asiya at Forage Oakland

Passion Fruit + Meyer Lemons

2009-02-18T22:55:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I had big plans of citrus harvesting on 45th Street, but the rain got the better of me. I did manage to harvest a handful of meyer lemons (on the way to BART) and Jerome and I enjoyed what were the next-to-last of the Temescal passion fruit.

Until next passion fruit season...

Passion fruit, half for Joyce; half for Nick.

Aunt Carla's Eggs

2009-02-15T19:36:00.000-08:00

Lucille and Bette, the hens.

Aunt Carla after collecting two eggs that were laid.

One dozen city eggs.

Before the rain became torrential today, Monica and I managed to pay a visit to her aunt, who has three city chickens: Ella (Fitzgerald), Bette (Midler) , and Lucille (Ball). Aunt Carla sent us home with a dozen eggs, which will be redistributed. Later next week, Carla can expect syrups: grapefruit, orange, lemon, and rosemary.

Olive oil cake recipe// rosemary syrup recipe

2009-02-14T11:02:00.000-08:00

Here is the recipe for the olive oil cakes I've been making as of late:

Batter:
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
4 eggs at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
2/3 cup olive oil
4 tablespoons marmalade of your choice
2 teaspoons nocino
3 teaspoons orange syrup

Glaze:
1/2 cup marmalade + 1/4 cup orange syrup + 1 teaspoon nocino for glaze.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Sift the flour and the baking powder together in a bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, combine the eggs and the salt. Beat until foamy; gradually beat in the sugar. Gently fold in the flour and baking powder mixture. Stir in the marmalade, nocino, orange syrup, and olive oil just until incorporated. Do not overmix.

Pour into a 10" springform pan and bake between 40 minutes and 1 hour, depending on your oven's settings. Test to see if the cake is set by inserting a toothpick into the center. If the toothpick comes out clean, the cake has baked. Let cool completely on a wire rack, then unmold. Drizzle the nocino+ orange syrup+ marmalde glaze over the cake. Voila.

This is a modification of a recipe originally found in Sonoma: A Food And Wine Lovers' Journey, by Jennifer Barry. Published by 10 Speed Press, 2003.

And here is the rosemary syrup recipe:

This is not the most precise recipe, since it's a deviation from a another recipe using entirely different herbs. But, so far, it has worked well:

Pick over the rosemary and rinse in cold water.

Put 800 ml of water in a pan and bring to a boil. Add the rosemary to the pan of boiling water, cover and bring back to a boil. Take of the hear and allow to stand for 15 minutes. Pour through a jelly bag and leave to drip for an hour or so.

Set aside the strained juice. Bring another 800 ml of water to a boil, and add the rosemary and repeat the boiling process. Tip the mixture back into the jelly bag and this time leave to drain overnight.

The next day, combine both lots of strained juice and pour into a saucepan. Add the sugar and heat, stirring until dissolved. Boil for 2-3 minutes, then immediately pour into warm, sterilized bottles and secure with screw caps or corks.

Use within four months.

Recipe is a modification of a rosehip recipe found in the River Cottage Preserve Handbook by Pam Corbin, Bloomsbury, 2008.

Intern with Forage Oakland this summer or autumn

2009-02-11T08:40:00.000-08:00

Follow this link if you'd like to intern with Forage Oakland this summer or autumn.

Ponderosa Lemons and Grapefruit

2009-02-10T17:00:00.000-08:00

Please mark your calendars for the first ever Forage Oakland Jam/ Marmalade Exchange, happening Sunday, February 22nd. Details to follow during the course of the week.

Yesterday I delivered grapefruit, the aforementioned 51st/ Broadway grapefruit, to two different homes in the Lower Rockridge neighborhood. I also harvested a dozen or so ponderosa lemons, which I may pass off to Siew Chinn for limoncello.

Here is a photo of a cake, semi foraged, or containing 'community marmalade,' a joint effort between myself and Suzanne Husky. I cannot begin to count the number of these such cakes I've baked in the past two weeks-- upwards of 14. This particular cake is a lemon marmalade olive oil cake with orange and nocino glaze.

And here are 4 such cakes, wrapped and ready for delivery for the In Search of Good Food benefit.

And here we have last summer's nocino.

51st and Broadway Grapefruit/ Barn Show

2009-02-02T07:51:00.000-08:00

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.

Ideablob: Vote for Forage Oakland

2009-01-30T12:33:00.000-08:00

Hi. I've entered a contest to win a grant for Forage Oakland (in the amount of $10,000) to purchase a fleet of 'harvesting bicycles', organize ongoing biking and walking tours of the neighborhood's bounty, and possibly have someone help with creating a website. The contest is very participatory, totally democratic, so please vote for Forage Oakland!

Thank you in advance!
Asiya