 | | | From left, Kaitlin Starnes, Megan Edelman and Lauren Edelman stand with their boxes of pears they helped pick at the Moraga Pear Harvest. They and their mothers are volunteers from the National Charity League. Photo Provided | | | | | | Over 100 years ago, pear orchards were planted in the Moraga Valley. Most of the orchards are long gone, but the remaining trees still produce great Bartlett pears. The old pear trees can be found on public land, open spaces and undeveloped parcels. Recently, volunteers harvested the pears in Moraga for the Solano and Contra Costa Counties Food Bank.
The Moraga Park Foundation has sponsored the volunteer pear harvest for 18 years. Over 150 volunteers from the National Charity League, Boys Team Charity and Kiwanis Club picked the pears, which are given to the Food Bank.
Pear harvests were smaller during the drought years, but the health of the trees improved after last winter's rains and pruning by volunteers. This year's harvest resulted in 7,000 pounds of fresh pears for the families served by the Food Bank.
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA