On Sundays, August 17 and August 31, the Alameda Native History Project will host Acorn Harvest Training, a hands-on, field-based workshop rooted in Indigenous tradition and ecological stewardship.
Participants will learn to identify local oaks, distinguish between red and white oak by leaf shape, bark, and acorn characteristics, and understand the significance of mast years in acorn production. We will explore how acorns nourish entire ecosystems, not just people, and why respectful harvesting ensures that “all flourishing is mutual.”
This training is grounded in the Honorable Harvest, a principle passed through generations:
Take only what is freely given.
Never take more than you need.
Give thanks, and give back.
Our harvesting protocol reflects these values. We use low-impact wooden acorn tenders, tapping branches lightly. No climbing, pruning, or mechanical shakers. Only acorns released by gentle taps or natural fall are gathered, and our collective harvest is capped at less than 15 percent of the seasonal crop, well below ecologically safe limits. Viable acorns we do not keep are buried nearby, replenishing the seed bank and echoing the work of squirrels that help oak forests regenerate.
These sessions are not about extraction. They are about building a respectful, living relationship with the land. The work is grounded in Traditional Ecological Knowledge and supported by the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe, which recognizes the importance of restoring Indigenous foodways as a living practice of cultural sovereignty and environmental stewardship.
People who signed up for the Indigenous Land Lab and the Acorn Harvest using our volunteer form received text messages with exclusive offers for free tickets. If you would like to join us on the harvest, and receive exclusive offers and special invitations such as private willow harvests and other events at the Indigenous Land Lab, sign up at https://nativehistoryproject.org/volunteer.
Space is limited for each session to ensure a meaningful and safe learning environment.
The Second Annual Acorn Harvest begins in August. This year, we will be gathering Acorns outside of the City of Alameda, into Alameda County, and beyond.
The reason for this is two-fold.
The first, almost all of the Oak trees in the City of Alameda are exclusively Coast Live Oak. These trees are in the Red Oak family.
The second, is that we have new partnerships and collaborations sprouting throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.
Red Oak Family? Why does this even matter?
Red Oak Trees have a two year acorn cycle. Meaning, the acorns take two years to grow and mature. In the context of the Acorn Harvest, this means no mature acorns will be available in Alameda until 2026–two years from our first harvest in 2024.
Oh… So which Oak Trees are going to have acorns, then?
This is actually great as far as the harvest goes. Because we’ll be hunting some of the most tasty acorns available. White Oak Acorns have relatively low tannic content compared to the Coast Live Oak acorns we had in abundance last year.
If you attended any of our Acorn Processing Workshops, Acorn Flour Production Days, or any of our Acorns! Culinary Series events, then you had the opportunity to taste these acorns in their various states of processing.
As an aside: One of our long-term goal is to produce blends of acorn flour for both taste and function. So being able to introduce you to these different varieties of Acorns, to harvest, taste, and cook with, is big plus in and of itself.
How do you find these White Oak trees?
We’re using a mix of GIS Analysis and In-Person Verification. Using Open Source Data we found through the California Oaks website, we were able to access several raster layers of relevant data, and then convert them into vector form we could overlay onto our own custom made maps to accurately target areas were would could find the oak trees we need.
Our next step was to find, identify, and surveil these trees in our area of interest; and to keep a running log of acorn ripeness to help time acorn harvest dates that we (hopefully) can communicate to our dedicate harvest volunteers with advance notice.
That’s all great; but how can I help?
We’re so glad you asked!
We want to find property owners/land managers who have oak trees that currently have ripening acorns.
We can describe this to you more in depth, but tl;dr the acorns need to be big, and not tiny little buds.
We want to find people who are willing to surveil the acorns in their area.
We need to start building teams, and training people to harvest acorns.
We’re looking for donations of LARGE BACKPACKS, HUGE RUCKSACKS, BACKPACKING BAGS, etc.
We’re also looking to raise the funds to properly hydrate and ensure the safety of our Harvest Teams.
Acorns are the single most important food stock in California.
They are enjoyed by First Californians from coast to coast. And it was traded throughout the state and beyond. We all share this heritage, even though we have different stories, songs, and journeys.
While the First Californians are famous for eating acorns; we are not the only people in the world who gather and process acorns for food.
As we develop the equipment necessary to process the acorns we harvested during our First Annual Acorn Harvest en masse, we wanted to tell you more about the global significance of acorns.
The Global Significance of Acorns
Acorns are eaten in North America, Europe, and Asia. China is a major manufacturer of acorn harvesting and processing equipment. Their largest customer is Korea. Where acorns are a major food stock, so common that acorns are part of the pop culture.
Anecdotally: The dude at a gas station near our office gave me his mother’s recipe for Berber Acorn Bread, when I told him what I was working on. He shared with me that acorn bread was something he ate as a child, and shared his fond memories of gathering and processing acorns.
When I brought him an acorn from a Coast Live Oak, he was so used to the sweet acorns of his homeland that he immediately opened the acorn to eat it–not realizing that this acorn is high in tannin and very bitter. But it was his experience that influenced his belief that all acorns were ready to eat, because they are in the place he’s from.
This is all to say that acorns are global. And they are something which can tie us together when we need it most.
Foodways are intersected by the acorn, not the other way around.
This is why we all have an innate fascination with acorns. Because we all share an ancestral urge to eat them!
For our purposes, we’re going to be processing acorns en masse, in an effort to produce food for as many people as possible.
Yes, it’s true that some of the most traditional ways to process acorns include soaking acorns in flowing water.
Most processing methods use water directly from rivers, streams, and springs.
So, we couldn’t show you how to do it traditionally, even if we wanted to. Because it’s not safe.
Anyone who tells you different is probably gonna pull out a glass jar, or some coffee filters to process acorns in their kitchen, anyway–and that’s not “traditional”, either.
So let’s just lay this one to rest and make peace with the fact that the world has changed [is continuing to change] and it behooves us to adapt accordingly.
None of this makes the acorn less special, or our mission less important.
It means that we can share our enthusiasm and celebrate the reopening of indigenous foodways with more people!
And there’s nothing better than sharing something with people who appreciate it as much as you do.
Modern Acorn Processing Techniques are Well-Documented
These are the kinds of Acorn Processing methods we will show you during our Public Acorn Processing Workshops:
Modern, relevant, acorn processing techniques you can enjoy in your own kitchen, with readily available tools and supplies.
While those are good for small amounts. We’re going to be processing much larger quantities.
We are offering two types of Acorn Processing Events.
The first one (listed above) is our public workshop. We are also running productionworkshops.
Production workshops will be focused on producing the Acorn Flour and Acorn Meal we’ll actually offer and distribute to Indigenous Communities, and the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe of the San Francisco Bay Area.
Learn more about how we will accomplish this task by volunteering to help us process the acorns we’ve harvested.
A series of events in the community. We invite community members to come together and challenge themselves to create an Acorn Granary, a traditional Native American Storage device to hold acorns throughout the year—but, specifically, built for the purpose of holding acorns over winter, because the Acorn Harvest is in the fall.
Through gathering natural materials and processing them into the supplies we use to build the granaries, participants will gain first-hand knowledge and experience of the importance of access to natural materials and the challenges of preparing for winter. Community members will discover that survival cannot be done alone and that the challenge of the Acorn Granary is not one person against nature. It is about how communities come together and build natural, regenerative systems to adapt and evolve with the landscape in a respectful and sustainable way.
When we came together in July, we came as a small group of individuals taking part in the first-ever Granary Challenge. Our participants ranged from 2nd and 3rd graders, college undergraduates, parents, and grandparents, from diverse social, cultural, and economic backgrounds. And we want you to know, that the framework of our granary was built by our youngest participants—and we are amazed, grateful, and humbled by their instinctive expertise and boundless enthusiasm.
About the Granary
Our Acorn Granary is hosted in the community by the Alameda Point Collaborative Farm2Market. Our granary was built using willow reeds and bay leaves donated from the Land Partners in Castro Valley, pine boughs and poles gathered locally, twine from local hardware stores, and the granary is topped with marine canvas donated from Pacific Crest Canvas.
The Annual Acorn Harvest
The Harvest runs from September through November. The efforts of this community-led initiative are aimed at reopening indigenous foodways. Acorns have not been gathered for food in Alameda, and much of the Bay Area, for over 300 years. Part of decolonizing ourselves, our stomachs, and the places we live, relies on reconnecting with the natural world around us and partaking in the ancient practices of this land.
By practicing sustainable, regenerative agriculture, we are becoming good stewards of our natural world, making space, and opening the pathways to food sovereignty, healing, and wellness for ourselves, and for more than 25,000 Native American/Alaskan Native and Indigenous People currently living in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Even though this was the first-ever Acorn Harvest announced in the City of Alameda in recent history—with a limited budget, and not a lot of marketing involved—we were tremendously grateful and surprised by the wellspring of support from our friends and neighbors in Alameda, and from our followers on social media.
The people who volunteered with us for the Annual Acorn Harvest ranged in age from young to old and represented a large contingent from many different social, cultural, and economic backgrounds. The Acorn Harvest was truly a family event, and we were honored to create these bonds and reconnect, together, with the natural urban forest, animals, and environment we depend on, but often overlook.
Through our community-building and sustainable practices, we helped to divert edible food from waste bins and compost piles. The acorns we did not use for food, we shared with 100K Trees For Humanity, which will germinate and plant new Oak trees in an effort “to increase our urban forest canopies, restore natural habitats, increase urban carbon sequestration capacity to help cities meet carbon reduction goals and for greater equity for cooler healthier communities.”
Acorn Processing & ACORNS! Culinary Series
The acorns we harvested are now being stored over winter in safe locations around the island. In the spring, we will begin processing our harvested acorns to produce Acorn Flour, and Acorn Meal, which we will offer to local Indigenous communities, the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe of the San Francisco Bay Area, and will also be used for our ACORNS! Culinary Series—featuring Traditional and Contemporary Indigenous, and International Cuisine. Our culinary series is generously hosted by the Alameda Park and Recreation Department, at the Mastick Senior Center, and will take place every Sunday in April 2025.
Find out more!
For more information on how to attend the ACORNS! Culinary Series, volunteer for the 2025 Annual Acorn Harvest, or process acorns to create nutritious culturally significant food for our Local Indigenous Communities
We’re thrilled to share the progress of the First Annual Acorn Harvest, a groundbreaking initiative that’s bringing together a diverse group of volunteers from across the local community.
Our shared goal? To revive ancient foodways and reconnect with the natural environment that sustains us.
Through this collaborative effort, we’re not only preserving traditional knowledge but also providing a tangible way for community members to give back and make a positive impact.
By working together, we’re fostering a deeper appreciation for the land, its resources, and the indigenous cultures that have thrived here for centuries.
The Acorn Harvest is more than just an event – it’s a movement that embodies the spirit of community, sustainability, and cultural revitalization. Here’s what’s next:
The acorns we harvest will be stored over winter, allowing us to preserve the bounty of the season.
In the spring, we’ll process the acorns using traditional methods, preparing them for culinary use.
We’re excited to announce a culinary series featuring traditional and contemporary Native American cuisine, with a focus on acorn-based dishes! Think traditional acorn mush or dumplings, acorn pumpkin muffins, and more.
But that’s not all – we’ll also be exploring international acorn dishes, including Korean Acorn Jelly (dotorimuk) and other global specialties. Do you have a favorite acorn recipe to share? We’d love to hear from you!
Join us on this journey as we rediscover the flavors and traditions of Native California.
Stay tuned for updates, and get ready to harvest, learn, and grow with us!
Join Us on the Harvest!
Wednesday and Sunday, from 9am to 12pm.
We’re gathering a diverse group of volunteers to help bring back ancient foodways and reconnect with the natural environment. Whether you’re interested in harvesting acorns, sorting and packing, or helping with transportation and installation, we have a role for you!
Join our team and contribute your skills and energy to:
Harvesting fallen and ripe acorns
Sorting and packing acorns for storage
Transporting people and acorns to and from harvest sites
Installing acorn granaries with our Indigenous Land Lab partners
And more!
We’re excited to share this experience with you! We welcome volunteers of all abilities and backgrounds to join our community-driven effort.
Sign up for the Acorn Harvest team now and be a part of this exciting journey!
