On a recent Fall day, with the leaves turning and the sun still shining, Pamela Zamora, the founder of the Reno Gleaning Project led a team of Patagonia employees picking fruit on Reno councilwoman Naomi Duerr’s property. Their total collection was about 120 pounds.
Zamora has been picking fruit on this vast property for over a decade now. Patagonia employees have advocacy hours which allows them to volunteer at an organization of their choice, helping Zamora along.
“I started the project as a forager, knocking on doors and asking to pick their fruit,” said Zamora of her beginnings in 2009 while on maternity leave. At that point of her life Zamora began to focus on healthy and organic food. She then noticed how much local fruit on urban trees was being left to rot and felt she had to do something about it. “99.9% of people say ‘Yes! Please take it!’”
Volunteers pick fruit with specialty tools made by Zamora’s husband for the non-profit, nicknamed “scepters of justice”. These tools make the pickers more efficient.
The project has advanced a lot since 2009. Equipped with their “scepters of justice” (above) and reusable bags, volunteers pick fruit for those who are unable to, mostly elderly homeowners, and get the excess to those who need it and wouldn't have access to organic, locally grown produce otherwise.
Erika Tauchen, left, part of the Reno Gleaning Project hands Dominique Buncio, with Patagonia, right, prepare bags for volunteers to put fruit in while they pick before loading it into boxes for donation.
Providing nutrition to those in need is what drives Zamora and her non profit forward as eating nutrient-dense food reduces overeating of unhealthy food.
“I’m a labor mobilization person,” says Zamora, as the picking proceeds. “Tap into your activism, provide labor for those who grow it,” she said. Zamora urges those who have fruit trees to properly water and care for their trees and those who are able to pick fruit to volunteer.
A job well done for the Duerrs. More information including signing up for picking or volunteering can be found on their website https://renogleaningproject.org/