Earlier this week I had the privilege of volunteering at America’s Grow-A-Row (AGAR), a non-profit organization that grows and distributes fresh produce to hunger relief agencies across New Jersey and Pennsylvania. They also provide free fruit and vegetables directly to the community through free farmers’ markets during the summer and provide educational programs on hunger, poverty and healthy eating in the offseason.

When I arrived at the farm in the morning, we gathered in a group to learn how the organization got its start, which was quite by accident. The founder, Chip Paillex, started a garden with his young daughter about 20 years ago and had an abundance of fruit and vegetables at harvest time. He saw a newspaper ad from a local food pantry asking neighborhood gardeners for excess produce and donated 120 pounds. He was hooked. Chip created AGAR and expanded his yield each year. Today he oversees 325 acres. Since its inception in 2002, his organization has grown to provide over 8 million pounds of food to those in need with the help of more than 9,000 volunteers.

Our task for the morning was to “thin peaches.” We took a 10-minute walk up to the orchard and were assigned to a row of trees, which were full of small, immature peaches about an inch in length. We were instructed to examine each branch and remove clusters of peaches so that the largest ones remained and were spaced about six inches apart.

The reasoning behind this exercise is that the trees have a finite amount of energy, water and nutrients to help the fruit grow. By removing the overload, the remaining peaches have plenty of resources to fully grow and ripen. Thinning, along with proper pruning, help the trees to remain healthy by reducing disease, rot and limb breakage. The lifespan of the trees increases as a result.

On the drive home I reflected on the wisdom of the thinning process. An overloaded tree cannot adequately support all the fruit it bears, as the excess fruit competes for limited energy in the form of carbohydrate stored in the tree. If left untended, the fruit will remain undeveloped and the tree will lose its vitality.

It reminded me of the impact that overload in my life can have on my energy reserves and how pruning my commitments and activities eases that stress. In the early stages of my wellness journey, something significant needed to get my attention for me to lessen the load. These days, I’m more attuned to energy drain and address it more readily. I like the idea, however, of having a seasonal thinning practice to help align my activity load with my available energetic resources.

Later that evening I received a note from the volunteer coordinator thanking us for our time along with a picture of the group after our shift. We thinned 42 trees that day, which will provide 8400 pounds, or 33,600 servings, of peaches for the community.

I’m already planning my next visit.

Journal Reflections: How much are you bearing at the moment? Can your commitments use some thinning? How can you periodically review and adjust to align with your energy reserves?

Thinning Peaches