Exciting Harvesting Update from Barbara Eiswerth: Tomatoes, Grapes, Peaches, Pears, Apricots and More!

Iskashitaa has never seen a July like this before (by far). Not only did we harvest more variety of fruit in record poundage from backyards and local farms but new fruits and new opportunities are happily stressing our redistribution systems and food preservation knowledge. University of Arizona farms contributed tens of thousands of hydroponic tomatoes, then two weeks later 7 million grapes! How do you handle/harvest peaches, pears and apricots? How do you store grapes and make raisins? 50,000 tomatoes is a lot to handle for this little operation with no cool storage or freezer space. We survive with your help, and swapping food for cool/cold storage with Southside Presbyterian and the Community Food Bank. Refugees benefit all around contributing to their families and the Wellness Center at Catalina Magnet High School. We learn to preserve, dry, pickle and ferment from refugees. Have you ever made raisins before? Call us now to harvest your fig and peach trees! Pomegranate season is just around the corner, and soon we will be harvesting apples and pumpkins from local farms. Contact us to donate your fruit or to get involved with our exciting harvesting activities!