Parents, students and siblings from Los Perales plant fruit trees Photo Cathy Dausman

A group of Los Perales Elementary School students, siblings and family members spent a recent Saturday morning digging holes, amending soil, planting, pruning, watering and even painting the bark on three new fruit trees they planted on school grounds. The non-profit Urban Farmers donated two antique heirloom apple trees; a third fruit tree, a pear, was purchased by the Parent Teacher Association (PTA). "Perales" is Spanish for pear.

Jenny Clare, Los Perales PTA President, recruited the help; and Clare and Urban Farmers' Siamack Sioshansi managed the project. "It was a really good starting point for [building] a relationship [with Urban Farmers]," said Clare, adding she is happy to bring together school families who are interested in growing their own produce.

"These children are our future leaders," says Sioshansi. "It is nice to see them more involved with the food cycle."

Urban Farmers has also donated trees to Acalanes High School, Lafayette Elementary School and St. Mary's College.

Sioshansi says the Los Perales saplings should bear fruit in just a couple of years. But if it takes longer, Clare is okay with that. "We're a school that will be around for a long time," she says.