One of the unique things about Southern California is that many of the homes have fruit trees. But those trees can sometimes bear so much fruit that homeowners don't know what to do with it all.
That's certainly true for me. I rent a house with two lemon trees and try to keep up with picking them, but I do not really need that many lemons.
The nonprofit Harvest C.R.O.P.S. (short for Community Residents Offering Produce Seasonally) is here to help. It's based in Lemon Grove — appropriate name in this case — and aims to help residents like me do something with all of their extra fruit.
"With your permission, we'll pick the fruit," said the founder, Sergio Padilla. "All the fruit we pick is going to the Chaldean refugee food bank."
He showed up at my house with a crew of four Chaldeans, an Iraqi ethnic minority that has a large community of immigrants and refugees in El Cajon. Harvest C.R.O.P.S. also sometimes takes school groups or church groups as volunteers.
I had wondered what a food bank would do with all my lemons — they're not like oranges or grapefruit that you can just eat. But Padilla assured me that from cleaning to cooking, the sour citrus is definitely wanted.
"The fruit that is being picked, the lemons, is always requested by the Chaldean community," he said. "Trust me, there's always a need for the residential fruit because the fruit goes to those who highly appreciate it."
The fruit from my trees would go to Chaldean and Middle-Eastern Social Services, he said. But the picking process also benefits volunteers, such as Zaki Nashi, an immigrant from Iraq who was part of the volunteer crew that came to my house.
"We like to see our people get involved and do some community services that make them a part of the community and help doing things for others," Nashi said.
Nashi is now a U.S. citizen, and said the experience is helpful to him and even more so to newcomer refugees.
"This is their new home town," he said. "This is their new country. This is where they are living in peace. They need to go out and explore, talk to people, they improve their English. And they need to know there are very nice people around them and they need to interact with them so they can be in good shape in the future, good citizens."
The nonprofit has collected more than 200,000 pounds of fruit since it started in 2009. Padilla said it's getting more popular.
"Last year for example we did 63,000 pounds, the previous year we did 31,000 pounds," he said. "This year we expect a growth of 30 percent. What happens is that the residents are calling us on top of our loyal residents who are asking us to return."
That's a good thing, but also taxes his abilities to help. He has some sponsors from local businesses, but said he needs a new truck and more tools.
"We are always in need of material," he said. "If you look at my pickup, it's a 92 Ford, my personal pickup."
When Padilla and his team were finished at my house, they were ready to load about 300 pounds of lemons into that pickup. He said they do this three or four times a week, and often collect 600 pounds of fruit at one home.
After Padilla gave me a tax deduction receipt to show how much fruit they collected, he and the volunteers snapped what they called a "trophy shot" photo with all the fruit bounty. They then filled the truck, cleaned up my yard and went on their way.
And the best part - I was left not feeling guilty about rotting lemons I couldn't pick fast enough.
One of the unique things about seven, is that many residential properties have fruit trees but they can sometimes bear so much for that homeowners do not know what to do with it all. At least one member of the newsroom has this problem but then she learned about a nonprofit that can help. I live in a house with lemon trees and we try to keep up with a demand but obviously we do not really need that many lemons but then I learned about a nonprofit that can help. Good morning. Sergio dear is the founder of harvest crops a 501(c)(3) based in lemon Grove a seemingly appropriate -- appropriate name for the city. Their mission is to help residents like me do something with all the extra fruit they don't need to With your permission we will pick the fruit -- all the fruit that we pick will go to the refugee food bank. He works with them. They have a large community of immigrants and refugees El Cajon. Sometimes harvest crops take school trips or two groups of volunteers but in the morning they came to my house the crew were all count against. I had wondered what they would do with all my lemons. They're not like oranges or grapefruit that you can just eat but you assured me that from cooking to cleaning the sour citrus are definitely want to. The fruit that is being picked -- the lemons is always requested by the community and it will go to the food bank. May receive it it is distributed in bags. There is always a need. This is my first time. It also benefits volunteers such as Zach an immigrant from Iraq. We would like to see I people get involved and do some community services that make them a part of this community and make them really get into the community and help do things for others. Now US citizen he says experience is helpful to him and even more so to newcomer refugees. This is their new home town. This is there new country this is where they are living in peace. They need to go out and explore. Talk to people and improve their English and the other things that they need to know is that there are very nice report around them and the need to communicate with them and interact with them so they can be really in a good shape for the future the nonprofit has collected more than 200 pounds of fruit since it started in 2009.. That also taxes his abilities to help. He has some sponsors from local businesses but says he needs a new truck and more tools. We are always in need of material and in this case if you look at my pickup it is a 92 Ford. My personal pickup. When they finished at my house and were ready to vote about 300 pounds a lemons into the pickup he says they do this three or four times a week and often quite 600 pounds of fruit at one home. After they gave me a receipt to show how much for the collected he and the volunteers snapped what they called a trophy shot photo with all the fruit County. With smiles on their faces the cleaned up the yard and went on their way. The best part of his left not feeling guilty about wanting lemons I could not go back to -- pick fast enough.
