Let Neighborhood Harvest Back into the RVGCM

  • Author:
    n/a
  • Send To:
    the Board of Directors of the Rogue Valley Growers & Crafters Markets
  • Sponsored By:
  • More Info at:
Are you the Author?
Thank you for all your efforts to organize the markets.

I recently learned that the Board of the Rogue Valley Growers and Crafters Market (RVGCM) decided not to allow Neighborhood Harvest to continue to sell fruit at the market this year. Apparently, this was primarily due to the determination that Neighborhood Harvest is a 'gleaner' and not a 'grower.'

I would respectfully ask that you reconsider and change your decision, allowing Neighborhood Harvest to participate as a vendor.

Neighborhood Harvest is not a gleaner as that term is defined, but a unique model for a grower. The organization leases trees and has agreements with multiple property owners to harvest all of the fresh, quality fruit from their trees and vines. Property owners agree not to use pesticides and Neighborhood Harvest, via its paid staff and harvesters, agrees to mulch, prune and otherwise care for the trees and vines, and gives the property owner 25\% of the harvest. This effectively represents a unique small-scale growing collaborative.

There are additional points in favor of Neighborhood Harvest

1) They offer fruit, which is less common at the markets. Much of the fruit in stores is not local, even in season, representing income lost locally, and added fuel use and emissions. Neighborhood Harvest's market presence helps localize fruit supply, benefiting our economy and the environment.

2) Neighborhood Harvest is a non-profit that provides some of its fruit to local food banks. The community has really rallied around them via media and volunteer support. It would reflect well on RVGCM to include Neighborhood Harvest in the markets, while news of its exclusion would likely bring a negative public reaction.

3) Neighborhood Harvest models the kind of solution we need to face our world's increasing sustainability challenges. They engage community around positive change and ensure good local food is made available to all, equitably.

4) Neighborhood Harvest is a new, small-scale operation, unable to tap wider markets like larger and more established growers. I would hope our Markets would support vendors like this,serving as fertile ground for them to build strong roots and grow into new opportunities. Having many growers of diverse size on the Board, surely you understand the need for cooperation over competition, and are willing to lend a hand as others have done for you.

Thanks for considering my request and allowing Neighborhood Harvest to participate as a RVGCM vendor, and for all that you do.

149 Signatures

  • Andrea Cohn
    • I am a customer at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • I am a VENDOR at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • Address or City
    • В
    • Comments
    • В
  • Emile Snyder
    • I am a customer at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • I am a VENDOR at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • Address or City
    • 1795 Anderson Creek Rd, Talent
    • Comments
    • В
  • Laura DuBois
    • I am a customer at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • Address or City
    • Ashland
    • Comments
    • They belong at the farmers market. they are providing a crucial service which lessens waste from private fruit trees, and offers us great fruit!
  • Stephanie Turner
    • I am a customer at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • Comments
    • Supporting innovative community local food activism like this should be the market's highest priority.
  • Peter Warren
    • I am a customer at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • I am a VENDOR at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • Address or City
    • Ashland
  • Jacqueline Milikien
    • I am a customer at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • I am a VENDOR at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • Comments
    • Neighborhood Harvest performs a much needed service to the community and the growers market is a perfect place for the community to purchase the products obtained by this hard working group. In the spirit of sharing and support they should be welcomed as fellow members of the growers market.
  • Jasna Pecaric
    • I am a customer at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • I am a VENDOR at the RV Growers Market
    • No
  • Bess Perry
    • I am a customer at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • Address or City
    • Ashland
  • R Ferrier
    • I am a customer at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • Address or City
    • Ashland Oregon
    • Comments
    • People picking up their NH CSAs bring their shoping dollars to the market as well.
  • Philip Krayna
    • I am a customer at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • I am a VENDOR at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • Address or City
    • Ashland
    • Comments
    • Why can't they sell? Seems arbitrary and discriminatory!
  • Michael DiGiorgio
    • I am a customer at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • I am a VENDOR at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • Address or City
    • Ashland
    • Comments
    • Neighborhood Harvest offers a unique way for folks to eat true local food. We all need to encourage innovative ways to grow and obtain food and this is a really good example. As a vendor I hope the board will reconsider this decision.
  • Melanie Mindlin
    • I am a customer at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • I am a VENDOR at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • Address or City
    • Ashland
    • Comments
    • The Ashland market should support the Ashland community. Neighborhood Harvest is an important program bringing numerous benefits to our community.
  • Shari Kalb
    • I am a customer at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • I am a VENDOR at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • Address or City
    • Ashland
  • Dustin Monda
    • I am a customer at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • I am a VENDOR at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • Address or City
    • 661 Clay St Ashland, OR
    • Comments
    • Sort of ridiculous it has to go this far. This is a tremendous service offered to the whole community.
  • Grant Oestreich
    • I am a customer at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • Address or City
    • Talent
    • Comments
    • Neighborhood Harvest is providing an essential service to the community. Wander around the community and see the amount of perfectly fine fruit that goes to waste.That by itself should tell you that Neighborhood Harvest belongs at our Local Market.
  • Matthew Hunter
    • I am a customer at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • I am a VENDOR at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • Address or City
    • В
    • Comments
    • В
  • jacquelene ambrose
    • I am a customer at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • I am a VENDOR at the RV Growers Market
    • No
  • alex mendelsohn
    • I am a customer at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • I am a VENDOR at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • Address or City
    • ashland
  • Chris Boone
    • I am a customer at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • I am a VENDOR at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • Address or City
    • Ashland
  • Philip Sprague
    • I am a customer at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • I am a VENDOR at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • Address or City
    • Ashland,
    • Comments
    • I can't believe Neighborhood Harvest has been banned from participating in the Growers Market. It's such a cool concept - picking "local" fruit from trees that ordinarily would just drop it and it would rot, or the deer would eat it. Given the fact that some of it goes to local food banks, I'm amazed anyone would have any objections. What a wacky world.
  • Philip Sprague
    • I am a customer at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • I am a VENDOR at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • Address or City
    • Ashland,
    • Comments
    • I can't believe Neighborhood Harvest has been banned from participating in the Growers Market. It's such a cool concept - picking "local" fruit from trees that ordinarily would just drop it and it would rot, or the deer would eat it. Given the fact that some of it goes to local food banks, I'm amazed anyone would have any objections. What a wacky world.
  • Wayne Reilly
    • I am a customer at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • I am a VENDOR at the RV Growers Market
    • No
  • Ann Cramer
    • I am a customer at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • I am a VENDOR at the RV Growers Market
    • No
  • Helga Motley
    • I am a customer at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • I am a VENDOR at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • Address or City
    • Ashland, OR
    • Comments
    • I value the approach the Neighborhood Harvest takes,because I have seen too much fruit lie wasted and unharvested over the years in Ashland's neighborhoods. Our early settlers recognized the importance of edible landscaping and we need to bring attention to that again.
  • Linda Cohen
    • I am a customer at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • Address or City
    • Ashland
    • Comments
    • My hope is that there be an open hearted approach in this situation. What a waste to let good fruit rot in someone's yard!
  • Avram Sacks
    • I am a customer at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • I am a VENDOR at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • Address or City
    • 1059 Park St.
    • Comments
    • I am outraged that you will not allow Neighborhood Harvest at the Market. It goes against the entire purpose of what the market is. You are going to lose a tremendous amount of goodwill in the community if you do not reconsider!
  • Nigel Kirby
    • I am a customer at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • Address or City
    • Ashland
  • joy hosey
    • I am a customer at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • I am a VENDOR at the RV Growers Market
    • No
  • Kathleen Meagher
    • I am a customer at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • I am a VENDOR at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • Address or City
    • Ashland
  • Ken Becker
    • I am a customer at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • I am a VENDOR at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • Address or City
    • Talent
  • Deborah Mokma
    • I am a customer at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • Address or City
    • Ashland
    • Comments
    • This unique approach to "growing" fruit should be applauded and supported.
  • Josephine Warden
    • I am a customer at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • I am a VENDOR at the RV Growers Market
    • No
  • Eliza Kauder
    • I am a customer at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • I am a VENDOR at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • Address or City
    • Ashland
  • Cindy Ceteras
    • I am a customer at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • I am a VENDOR at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • Address or City
    • Ashland
    • Comments
    • Neighborhood Harvest provides a needed and valuable service to our community, caring for and collecting the harvest from trees that provide healthy food that would otherwise be wasted. How can you separate what they do as different from the food ollected by a CSA?
  • Bill Kauth
    • I am a customer at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • Address or City
    • 258 Greenbriar Place, Ashland
    • Comments
    • Please support these creative young people.
  • Herbert Long
    • I am a customer at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • I am a VENDOR at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • Address or City
    • 745 Alaska St., Ashland 97520
  • Ladena Romero
    • I am a customer at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • I am a VENDOR at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • Address or City
    • Jacksonville
  • Susan Hansen
    • I am a customer at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • I am a VENDOR at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • Address or City
    • Ashland
  • Gerry Pare
    • I am a customer at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • I am a VENDOR at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • Comments
    • This is just the kind of thing we need more of at the Grower's market.
  • Georgia King
    • I am a customer at the RV Growers Market
    • No
  • Sarah Breckenridge
    • I am a customer at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • I am a VENDOR at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • Address or City
    • Ashland
  • Julie Chura
    • I am a customer at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • Address or City
    • Ashland oregon
    • Comments
    • Please support this effort to think outside the box and fully use our own local recsources.
  • Kate Savannah
    • I am a customer at the RV Growers Market
    • No
  • John Skuja
    • I am a customer at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • I am a VENDOR at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • Address or City
    • Medford
  • Charlotte McKernan
    • I am a customer at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • I am a VENDOR at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • Address or City
    • 1500 Oregon St, Ashland,OR
    • Comments
    • This concept of neighborhood harvest is wonderful. There are so many unattended fruit trees in Ashland. It's like throwing away food. This group is salvaging wonderful eatable food for our community and helping neighbors care for their trees. A win-win!!!!
  • Nicci Randall
    • I am a customer at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • I am a VENDOR at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • Address or City
    • ashland
    • Comments
    • neighborhood harvest is part of this community with people working together providing us with yummy frutis and nuts. Friendly people that belong at the market!
  • James H. Stewart
    • I am a customer at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • I am a VENDOR at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • Address or City
    • 156 6th Street
    • Comments
    • Is this being seen as black market produce? It seems to be about as "Green" as you can get. And the more shades of Green that we can bring to the local pallet the better.
  • Tomas Monter-Rangel
    • I am a customer at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • I am a VENDOR at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • Address or City
    • 462 Jennifer st. Ashland
    • Comments
    • I think is not up to them to decide whose going to buy for the Neighborhood harvest
  • Alberta Zajack
    • I am a customer at the RV Growers Market
    • No
  • Patricia Browning
    • I am a customer at the RV Growers Market
    • No
    • Address or City
    • Ashland