South Coast Research & Extension Center Contributes to Community

At the UC South Coast REC there are parts of the orchards that produce fruit but where resources are not available to harvest and market it.  In a win/win solution, the Research & Extension Center reached out to Second Harvest Food Bank, a local organization which provides food to a wide array families in need in the area.

In partnership with Second Harvest Food Bank, South Coast REC hosted ASICS Corporation, a large manufacturer of athletic shoes with corporate offices near South Coast REC, for a fruit gleaning. The group of 52 ASICS employees, along with several UCCE MG volunteers, gleaned (19) citrus trees as designated in the Urban Horticulture Extension block. The citrus varieties included lemons, tangerines, limes, grapefruit, and limes.

Volunteers arrived in two separate shifts – one in the morning and one in the afternoon. At the end of the day a total of approximately 950 pounds were picked. The harvested fruit was taken to the Second Harvest Food Bank distribution facility in Irvine for washing and packing. Second Harvest then distributed the fruit to needy families within a week of the harvest.

This partnership allowed for the trees to be stripped of mature fruit normally left on the trees due to lack of sufficient field staff dedicated to non-research projects.  This resulted in the provision of food as well as benefiting the orchards.