How ‘RIPE’ is Your Garden

“Residential In-season Produce Exchange” is changing the way local residents get their organic produce.

Mandarines, tangerines, tangelos, meyer lemons. Bok choy, collard greens, lemon balm, yellow grapefruit—with a pink hue. Parsley, chard, red mustard, bay leaves. And oh, avocados!
Who needs pricey Farmers Market produce when you can swap or share pesticide-free fruits and vegetables in a private garden right here in the neighborhood?

That’s right—for the past several months, a steadily growing group of people has been meeting every second Sunday in the garden of an Eagle Rock house to exchange or share a variety of excess produce—mostly vegetables, fruits and herbs but also eggs from backyard chickens or locally cultivated honey.
The group calls itself RIPE Eagle Rock—the first word an acronym for “Residential In-season Produce Exchange.” And while the words “Eagle Rock” happen to be on the group’s website, its swap meets are open to anyone, from Highland Park, Mount Washington or beyond, who has some organic produce—or just a smile—to share.
RIPE Eagle Rock is part of a membership-based network of organic fruit and vegetable gardeners that started in the foothills of Altadena and is spreading to Atwater Village, Arcadia, Temple City and West Covina. Realizing that they all had too much fruit at the same time, a handful of Altadena neighbors set up a fruit stand and began selling blackberries to passersby, according to the RIPE Altadena website. “We were amazed at the generosity of our neighbors who liked to stay and chat, and even return with their own backyard fruit to give us,” says the site.

The Eagle Rock chapter of RIPE is run by Karin Kachler, who organizes RIPE meets in the garden of her house on 1597 Grandola Ave., a few blocks south of Trader Joe’s, on the northeast corner of Townsend Avenue. RIPE Eagle Rock also has an online group for members who can’t make it to a particular second-Saturday swap meet and would like to arrange for their own exchanges with other individuals.
The next vege and fruit swap in Kachler’s garden is scheduled this coming Sunday from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.
“Typically, people stay about 20 to 30 minutes,” Kachler told Eagle Rock Patch, adding: “We currently have 20 members and would love to attract more.”
Among RIPE Eagle Rock’s members is David Drum, a novelist who lives and kitchen-gardens on Yosemite Drive, about a 10-minute walk from Kachler’s house.
“I've been participating for several months and I find it lots of fun,” Drum said. “I almost always walk away with something new or interesting to try.”
RIPE memberships are free of cost. E-mail Kachler at screamingredcat@hotmail.com or send her a text at 3102796681. Can't be bothered? Just show up at Sunday’s swap!
Correction: This article initially said that RIPE Eagle Rock members meet every second Saturday of the month in Karin Kachler's garden. They did indeed but have lately been meeting every second Sunday.