On Sunday, August 27th a group of Shin Shin volunteers gathered at Mr. Li Yifeng’s farm for their annual almond harvesting event! Every year the Fong Song Ranch hosts multiple harvests for nuts such as almonds and walnuts. For $50, volunteers can harvest and keep all the almonds from one tree, and the farm will match each payment with their own fund of $150 per tree going directly to the Shin Shin Educational Foundation. Though the extended wet season led to a later blooming of the almond flowers and caused a decrease in the size of the harvest, the experience was both enjoyable and satisfying. Volunteers used long sticks to knock the almonds off the tree, sorted the almonds, and peeled the outer layer to reveal the nut. During the event, Mr. Lin explained how almonds have both a hull and a shell protecting the delicious nut on the inside. Overall, the almond-picking event was a fun and educational way to fundraise for Shin Shin’s important initiatives in rural China.