Volunteers from Jack London State Historic Park and Farm to Pantry assembled on Aug. 13 in the park’s historic orchard to glean – or gather – thousands of ripe plums that will be given to people in Sonoma County who are struggling with food insecurity.
“The orchard is located three miles away from the main entrance of the park. It’s a beautiful and rewarding hiking destination, and now, thanks to Farm to Pantry and our volunteers, the literal ‘fruits’ our labor are serving a greater purpose in the realm of food justice. We love that these historic trees that we’re working so hard to preserve are also producing food for people facing food insecurity throughout the county,” said Matt Leffert, Executive Director of Jack London State Historic Park.
“This is the second batch of fruit that we’ve been able to glean at the park. Together, we are helping to feed people, promote health and nutrition for the community and reduce food waste,” said Duskie Estes, Executive Director of Farm to Pantry.
“It is often hard to believe in this beautiful wine country, that one in three of us in Sonoma County are experiencing food insecurity and that the future food supply may dwindle due to our drought emergency. So we are very grateful that we get to share the bounty of the Jack London historic orchard with those who need it most. This is such an amazing partnership and use of land on so many levels.”
The orchards were originally planted in 1908-1912 on the grounds of the Sonoma State Home (now the Sonoma Developmental Center). What started as 110 acres of fruit trees (apples, pears, apricots, peaches, cherries, and plums) were maintained by clients at the Home, then by commercial keepers in the 1960s and 70s. By the 1980s, the orchard was abandoned.
In 2002, a 600-acre area including the remaining 40 acres of orchards was given to Jack London State Historic Park in 2002.
“The original goal of reviving the orchard was preserving the cultural landscape. The produce was just a happy side effect,” said Eric Metz, Jack London’s Director of Operations. “We wanted to keep these trees alive – and grow more like them – to preserve an example of a pre-World War II orchard for future generations. Fruit isn’t grown this way anymore.”
Metz credits California State Parks for their support in making the restoration possible. Their 2006 Determination of Eligibility and Condition Assessment of the orchard filled 281 pages with detailed information about the trees and the land. After beginning the process of stabilizing the orchard, they worked with Jack London Park Partners to design and approve an expanded restoration plan once the non-profit began managing the project.
Sandy Leonard, a member of Jack London Park Partners’ Board of Directors, connected the park with Duskie Estes and Farm to Pantry, a non-profit organization that supports environmental sustainability by rescuing locally-grown food and sharing it with those experiencing food insecurity.
In 2020, Farm to Pantry rescued over 200,000 pounds of produce. Since 2008, they have delivered over three million servings of fruits and vegetables in Sonoma County and spared the air of over 150,000 kg of emissions.
Volunteers will gather again in a few weeks to glean apples and Comice and Bartlett pears, which will find their way to pantries and hungry mouths throughout Sonoma County.
On Sept. 11, Jack London State Historic Park will offer a presentation by Eric Metz and a hike to the historic orchard. Reservations and more information are available at https://jacklondonpark.com/events/orchard-restoration/.
