Foodbank program finds bounty in backyards

By ERIC LINDBERG — Dec. 29, 2009

From a smattering of fruit trees in a backyard to rows upon rows of orchard land, a fledgling program called Backyard Bounty is bringing bushels of fresh fruit to the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County.

More than 105,000 pounds of produce have been collected since the program launched several years ago, and that figure swells every day as word of Backyard Bounty spreads.

The concept is simple enough — volunteers harvest fruit and vegetables that would otherwise go unused and donate them to the foodbank, which in turn supplies hundreds of local nonprofits and agencies that serve people in need.

“When you see everything that grows here in California, it’s mind-boggling to me that any of it is wasted,” said Jim Roehrig, a New York native who launched the program and now coordinates each harvest.

In 2007, after discovering that nobody was willing to harvest fruit from 500 lemon trees on property he owned in Carpinteria, Roehrig started bringing 1,000 pounds of lemons to the foodbank regularly on his own, a task that eventually spawned Backyard Bounty.

He approached foodbank officials, who gave him the green light to launch the program, and started getting volunteers together, in addition to searching out homeowners willing to donate fruit from trees in their yard.

“Initially, I thought I’d do this on Saturdays, because I’m retired,” Roehrig said. “But I could do this five days a week now.”

Along with a force of roughly 100 volunteers, he has climbed into trees or scoured vegetable patches from Buellton to Carpinteria. On Sunday, the crew spent five hours picking mandarin oranges at an expansive orchard in Goleta.

The landowners, the Sheldon family, have been generously inviting the Backyard Bounty team back out to the property to pick avocados, plums and apples, along with the oranges that have kept Roehrig and his volunteers busy for several weekends in a row.

“By the time we’re done out there, I bet we’ll total out to 20,000 or 30,000 pounds of mandarin oranges,” he said.

The benefits of the program are varied. Community members in need benefit from healthier, locally grown produce. Homeowners can write off produce donations as a tax deduction and keep their fruit trees from going to waste.

Some local businesses and organizations have started volunteering as a group, using the program as a teambuilding experience.

And the volunteers get a solid workout, Roehrig said, adding that he’s lost a few pounds ever since he started putting together harvests three days a week.

Although Backyard Bounty is the newest program at the foodbank, Roehrig said it has an enormous potential for growth, particularly if more volunteers sign up to help with the harvest and more homeowners offer up their unused fruit and vegetables.

“There’s a lot of generosity in this community, and it just needs to be tapped into,” he said, adding later, “I haven’t even scratched the surface.”

Local residents can get involved in the program by donating produce to the foodbank, 4554 Hollister Ave., or by scheduling a harvest by calling 967-5741, ext. 112. Additional information about the program is also available at www.foodbanksbc.org, at the Backyard Bounty Facebook fan page, or by emailing Roehrig at jroeh57004@aol.com.

Roehrig said he is always looking for new volunteers — particularly young and strong individuals – as well as harvest sites and funding for the program.

“Hope to see you in a tree,” he said, echoing the program’s motto.

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