ABOUT OUR MEMBER OF THE MONTH
Full name: Sarah Whitney
Pronouns: she/her
Biography: I am a landscape architect working for the Long Tom Watershed Council, managing the Urban Waters and Wildlife Program. I work with businesses to voluntarily improve water quality and the habitat condition in the Upper Willamette Watershed, and I love this work! I also love rafting down rivers, camping as we go; basket weaving; and making as much of my own food as I can.
Q: If you were a fruit or vegetable, which would you be and why?
A: A blueberry! Plump, juicy, and nutritious.
Q: Do you have a favorite food recipe to share with the EAG community?
A: Grain free granola:
4 cups of your favorite chopped nuts (I like to mix them)
1 cup of sunflower seeds
1/2 cup of alternative milk of choice
1/2 cup of sweetener of choice (I like maple syrup).
Roast at 170 degrees F. for an hour, stirring every 15 minutes until it is as brown as you like it. Add dried fruit of choice. I like cranberries, and store in an airtight container for a month.
ABOUT YOUR EAG JOURNEY
Q: When did you join Eugene Area Gleaners (EAG)?
A: Time is illusive. Maybe a decade ago?
Q: What inspired you to join EAG?
A: Affordable local foods and food waste reduction!
Q: What volunteer role(s) have you held with EAG?
A: I have stored seeds at my home for a season, tried to connect EAG with UO Zero Waste, and gone on many gleans.
Q: Why do you love volunteering with EAG?
A: This organization fills an important community niche — from farmers who don’t want their imperfect foods to go to waste, to homeowners whose fruit trees produce more than they could ever use.
Q: Do you have a favorite gleaning experience, cherished memory, or fun moment?
A: Picking the most luscious strawberries well past the end of the normal season, when I thought I had no hope of having any berries put up for the year ahead.
Q: What are your words or wisdom or tips on how to be a successful gleaner and EAG volunteer?
A: Tips for summertime gleans: Pack yourself enough water to keep yourself hydrated, wash your hands before driving home, and rinse off a few of your freshly picked goods to nibble on on the way home. Don’t forget a sun hat too!
Q: Anything else you’d like to share with our community?
A: Even if you work full time, there are gleans that will work for you, just keep an eye out! Barring that, become a glean leader and set dates and times that work for you.
