EUGENE AREA GLEANERS NEWS 11-02-2020
IT’S THE GREAT PUMPKIN!
This Halloween, 38 gleaner kids received candy and other treats. Participating families received a bucket with bagged candy for each kid, plus toys and treats for the family to share. Each family also received a letter from T. Great Pumpkin.
This was a huge group effort, and thanks go to everyone who contributed time, effort, materials, driving, etc., including:
Brandy Collier
Shawna Bughman
Rose Jacobs
Elan Buba
Marie Summers
Margaret Rose Nyberg
Shawna Gillespie
Natasha Chitow
Julia McAloon
Jennifer Tarver
Ryan Collier
Bear Collier
Ryder Collier
Gabriel Barrowman
Adriane Quackenbush
Robin Jorgensen
Heather Zedaker (Gwen Stacy)
Tatjana Skrbic
Vickie Hodgins
Venessa Morago
Jennifer Eisele
Ashley & Ryan Workman
Melody Piatt
LeAndra Schneider
Brittney Hutchinson
Veronica VanAndel
Lisa Lucas
Ruby McConnell
Deirdre Leiner
Erin Auer-Sears
Virginia Haack Buron
Geraldine Sundstrom
Shari and Ron Layton
Extra buckets were left at the drop sites. Leftover Halloween candy may also show up there as well.
SPRINGFIELD SHELTER NEEDS
Planning is underway to build a cover for the Springfield drop site at 2445 Laralee St. Please let Marie Summers know if you can donate any of the items below:
- 8 pier blocks
- 1 box 3″ deck screws
- Metal roofing sheets
- 6 4x4x10 foot posts
You can comment here and also view examples of the pier blocks and roofing sheets:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/eugeneareagleaners/permalink/2714284265491836/
GLEANER HELP
Slots are still open for the meal train for Bonnie Williams and family:
A GoFundMe to help with expenses is available here:
Please stay mindful of COVID-19 guidelines when dropping items off.
GLEANS
Reminder to glean leaders: Be sure to put the date on your glean receipts, either across the top or in the comments. Without the date, the receipt technically isn’t valid.
Reminder to everyone: Masks are required during gleans. Please do not sign up if you are not willing or able to wear a mask.
The Oregon Health Authority has updated its guidance on the use of face shields—the recommendation is to wear a mask instead of a face shield except in cases when a face shield is appropriate, for example, for communicating with someone who is deaf.
Gleans this week:
Monday, November 2: Sweet corn, squash, and pie pumpkins in Pleasant Hill
Organic Redneck gleans have come to an end for 2020. They are continuing to make donations on Fridays. Donated items will be split and delivered directly to the drop sites. Thank you to everyone who came out and supported this great account!!
Be sure to watch the Facebook group or the email list for new gleans.
New glean leaders are always welcome! Contact Susan Chapen at eugenea[email protected] or message her on Facebook to get trained!
AT THE DROP SITES
NOTE: Wear your mask and use the hand sanitizer provided when visiting a drop site. Also be sure to note what you take on the sign-out sheet.
If you leave something at a drop site, be sure to notify the host and post to the Facebook group and email list so people know to come get it.
Also make sure the refrigerator is closed securely if you open it.
Springfield: 2445 Laralee St.
Eugene: 1242 Garfield St.
South Eugene: 2830 Potter
The drop sites are well-stocked with bread from regular donors Bread Stop, Winco, and Orowheat. Other items available last week included organic squash, canned goods, and other pantry items.
TALKING TURKEY
Rose Jacobs has started a series of blog posts on how to stretch your food dollars at the gleaner website: eugeneareagleaners.com. The first installment looks at what you can do with a 10-pound turkey—a timely topic with Thanksgiving coming right up:
https://eugeneareagleaners.com/how-to-stretch-your-food-dollar-example-1-how-many-meals-can-you-get-from-a-10-pound-turkey/
STORING YOUR SQUASH
Following are storage suggestions from the Facebook group.
Hardening. To store winter squash through the winter, they first need to be hardened, or cured. It’s best to keep the stems on for storage. Basically, place the squash in a warm place with good air circulation for about two weeks. Earlier in the fall, you could set them outside in the sun for hardening, using a rack or mesh frame to elevate them for better air circulation (or just flipping them over periodically).
Maureen Griffith suggests keeping them in a warm room (ideally 80 degrees, so maybe ) for 8-10 days to harden, then store in a cool room.
After they harden, Linda Spellman recommends a bleach dip, using a wheelbarrow or bathtub if you’ve got a lot. A diluted vinegar solution should also kill anything that might promote spoilage.
Store the cured squash in a cool, dry, well-ventilated location. Ideal temperature for storage is 50 to 55 degrees. Don’t store near apples, pears, or other fruit that may still be ripening.
Here is a chart that shows typical hardening and storage times for different squash varieties. Note that some varieties, like delicata and acorn, don’t need to be cured, but also won’t last as long in storage:
https://www.johnnyseeds.com/growers-library/vegetables/winter-squash-eating-guide.html
Freezing. Marie Summers turned Orange Kabocha squash into “pumpkin” puree by roasting the quartered and seeded squash for 45 minutes. Once cooled, she ran it through the food processor and froze 2 cups to a bag. Cooking, then pureeing, is the way to go for freezing any squash that is hard to peel.
For butternut squash, you can peel and cut into cubes, then freeze the cubes like you would berries. First spread them out on a cookie sheet so they freeze individually, then bag or vacuum seal them for long-term storage.
BLUE BOTTLE BAGS
Marie Summers reports that our Bottle Drop Blue Bag fundraising has reached $59.80, and that is with only 9 of the 50 bags returned! Please grab your bag at either 2445 Laralee or 1242 Garfield and fill a bag for the Eugene Area Gleaners.
If you already have a Bottle Drop account (green bags), you can donate your returns to the gleaners. Log in to your account, and from the options at the top select View Details under Use Give.
Click on the Search Nonprofits button, then enter Eugene Area Gleaners in the Search box.
Then click the orange button that says Learn more about Eugene Area Gleaners.
Then click on the Donate Now button.
You will see your account balance and can enter in the amount you want to give.
BUMPER STICKERS
Have you purchased your gleaner sticker yet? Funds go toward building a gleaner barn at 1070 Linda Lane. The 2” x 6” stickers are $1.50 each, including the cost of a stamp to mail it to you. Buy your stickers here:
https://eugeneareagleaners.com/product/eag-bumper-sticker/