VANCOUVER, Wash. — In a pear orchard in Clark County, the harvest is on. The pickers are volunteers, including young ones with their moms. One of those moms has brought her kids back for a second season.
"I have a 2-year-old, a 4-year-old and an 8-year-old, and we can all successfully pick pears, so I think that’s great. And then the fact that we have frequented the food bank occasionally, and then knowing that we give back over the years, is just nice, so full circle," said Briana Parks.
The orchard owner at Omega Farms stopped harvesting these 200 trees a few years ago, and decided to donate.
Slow Food's Urban Abundance program was happy to take it on.
This and another local orchard make up the bulk of their food bank fruit harvest: the Pick a Pear-a-Thon.
Americorps volunteer Lynsey Horne is running the program this season. She says it's 'go time.'
"We have two weeks to pick as much as we can before the pears start to rot in the middle," said Horne. "We really just want to minimize the amount that goes to waste and get it to people who are hungry."
The connection to the people in need, is the Clark County Food Bank. Through its many partners it delivers 10,000 food boxes a month to local families.
Literally tons of local pears from the pickathon are a welcome addition.
"People are just giving up their time to pick these pears and donate them. And it’s not just more food to people in need, this represents healthier food to people in need, and we love that, said the food bank's Matt Edmonds.
Back in the orchard, 8-year-old Rhonin Parks is finding the keepers.
"What’s good about it is it’s got no bug bites or scabs at all. It’s not quite ripe but it will get ripe," said Parks, while holding the perfect pear.
"Just being outside and finding a good pear is very rewarding to him," said Rhonin's mom Briana. "And then knowing it goes to the food bank is also great for him."
If you want to volunteer with the Pick a Pear-a-Thon, there just a few days left to sign up. You can also donate to the cause, if you can't make it to the orchard.