When There is Enough to Share
Harvest season has a way of changing how we see abundance. A tree that looks ordinary from a distance can be holding hundreds of pieces of fruit. A small garden bed can suddenly produce more tomatoes than one family could possibly eat. And before long, the question shifts from “What will grow?” to “What are we going to do with all of this?”
For Aleah, that question brings back memories of her grandma, her garden, and bushels of fall apples. But it also gets at something bigger: what happens when abundance is grown with the intention of sharing it?
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Contributed by Aleah Likas, Director of Strategic Partnerships
One of the things I’m struck by this time of year is just how much beautiful produce a seemingly small orchard or garden can create. Walking up, I might spy a spot or two of color glittering in the sun. But when my eyes become trained on what I’m searching for, suddenly I see a treasure trove and walk away with a basket full of beautiful fruits or veggies to share.
Fruitful Childhood Memories
Many of my favorite childhood memories took place working alongside my grandma in her (what seemed like) huge garden on the farm in south central Illinois. While my grandpa spent his days out in the fields atop his big red Allis Chalmers tractor, grandma tended to tomatoes, sweet corn, peppers and snap beans, and I absolutely loved “helping” her.
Throughout the summer, she’d share her harvests with neighbors, and when fall came, there was an open invitation to a neighboring orchard (let’s be clear here: “neighboring” via country roads meant about three miles away), where we’d wander through the generous trees, our shoes squishing on fallen apples while we searched for the perfect ones overhead.
Grandma Knows Best
We’d head home with bushels of Golden Delicious and Jonagolds, and a few gallons of hand-pressed cider, and that always-asked question: “What are we going to do with all these apples?!”
But grandma knew. The shared abundance of fall would soon become pies and applesauce, shared with family and friends, with plenty canned away for the winter.
It’s these memories of days spent in the garden and orchard that connected me so strongly to The Giving Grove’s mission when I first met the organization. And when harvest is at its peak, I find myself thinking about them a little differently.
In a country capable of producing extraordinary amounts of food, the question isn't simply whether enough food exists. It's also who has access to it, where it grows, who can afford it, and whether fresh, healthy food is within reach. That’s part of what makes the idea behind a Giving Grove orchard so powerful to me: put the abundance right there, smack dab in the middle of the neighborhood, and make it clear that it’s there for everyone.
More than One Way to Eat an Apple
How often have you walked past a berry bush teeming with fruit because you weren’t sure who it belonged to? Or bypassed an apple tree with branches so heavy with fruit they could barely hold it, simply because you weren’t sure if it was yours for the picking? Giving Grove orchards greet visitors with signs that invite them in to explore, pick and fill their bellies with the generosity of the earth and the volunteers that have nurtured the orchard. These are shared spaces where the abundance is intended to be shared.
And there can be a lot of it! One mature 15-tree Giving Grove orchard produces roughly 3,123 pounds of fruit annually - that’s nearly 9,000 servings of fresh food, growing year after year, right where people live.
So this fall, if you find your own harvest baskets overflowing, share what you have! Send a bag of tomatoes home with a friend. Leave a zucchini on your neighbor’s porch (they’ll likely forgive you.) Organizations like Fresh Food Connect can even help home gardeners and orchardists connect their extra produce with local hunger relief organizations.
Grandma’s Nobby Apple Cake with Brandy Sauce
For the Cake
3 Tbsp. butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground nutmeg
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups chopped apples
¼ cup chopped pecans (optional)
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour an 8"x8" baking pan.
Beat together the butter, sugar and egg until light and fluffy. Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, baking soda and flour, and mix until well blended. Fold in the apples and pecans, if using.
Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
For the Brandy Sauce
½ cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
¾ cup water
1 Tbsp. brandy
2–3 Tbsp. lemon juice
In a small saucepan, whisk together the brown sugar, cornstarch and water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Just before removing from heat, whisk in the brandy and lemon juice.
Serve the sauce hot over warm apple cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and taste my childhood.
About the Author
As Director of Strategic Partnerships at The Giving Grove, Aleah Likas builds relationships with donors, partners, and volunteers to grow the organization’s impact nationwide. She’s passionate about connecting people to The Giving Grove’s mission and cultivating opportunities for communities to flourish together.