I got introduced to the idea of clean/green/glean at an orchard planting on a Lafayette hillside one rainy afternoon. I was amazed and uplifted by the energy of young kids hauling buckets of mulch and dirt up the hill and planting fruit trees that they may never directly benefit from. I later found out that the team did much more than plant trees and move on. They came back in following years to care for the orchard and in between harvested thousands of pounds of excess fruit from hundreds of backyards for distribution to the needy.

I have been living in the Tri-Valley area for the past two decades with my wife and two daughters. Having grown up in Pakistan where fruit trees are ubiquitous in homes and along the streets, it was only natural that I plant some trees where I live. My small ‘orchard’ now has a variety of local favorites like plum, peach, nectarine, grapes, cherries, fig, pomegranate, apples and some exotics like loquat and multi-graft fruit trees.

By day, I work for a technology company in the South Bay. On weekends, I lead harvests, primarily in Danville, Alamo, and San Ramon. It is relaxing, therapeutic and a great way to make new friends, visit backyards, witness the bounties of nature and taste wonderful fruit, all the while doing something good for the community.

< Return to Contra Costa Fruit Rescue