Last fall's mesquite milling event by the Tucson Audubon Society was so successful that some people had to wait awhile to have their tree pods turned into flour.
The society made a fix for this year's event at its Mason Center. Now people will have something to do while they wait during the retooled Harvest Festival & Mesquite Milling on Saturday.
Two hammer mills from Desert Harvesters and Tohono O'odham Community College should make the mesquite milling go faster, says Kendall Kroesen, the society's habitats program manager.
He hopes the festival will teach a captive audience about local foods.
"It will celebrate the biological diversity, but especially the wild and heritage foods of the Sonoran Desert."
Milling of pods that people harvested from their trees starts at 7:30 a.m. It costs from $2 to $3.33 for a gallon of pods, depending on how many gallons someone brings.
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Even folks who don't bring pods can take part in festival activities. They include guided walks through the northwest-side preserve to learn about nature and edible plants.
Community organizations will conduct composting demonstrations and lectures on permaculture, pollinators, desert critters and landscaping for wildlife and food production.
Participants in Kroesen's workshop (9:45 a.m., $25) will create a rainwater basin and plant Kino heritage fruit trees at the center.
Participants in a workshop that started Friday will install a water-harvesting cistern during the festival.
Food trucks will sell eats and drinks, while organizations promoting sustainable-living practices will provide information and sell plants and other items.
prepare your pods
While mesquite pod harvesting begins in May, you can usually get a second harvest in October, says Clifford Pablo, manager of the Student Learning Farm at Tohono O'odham Community College.
Here are his tips for gathering what you can for Saturday's mill:
• Pick pods from the tree, not the ground.
• Discard anything with black spots. That's mold.
• Pods need to be dry enough to snap.
• You can speed up drying by placing pods in the oven at very low heat. Be careful not to cook or burn them.
• Keep pods dry by storing them in a plastic bucket or paper bag.
• Do not store pods in a plastic bag, which captures moisture.
• A 5-gallon bucket filled with pods will yield about a pound of flour.
If you go
Harvest Festival & Mesquite Milling
• What: Celebration of Sonoran Desert food sources.
• When: 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday.
• Where: Tucson Audubon's Mason Center, 3835 W. Hardy Road.
• Admission: Free. Fees are charged for mesquite milling and workshop.
• Information: 629-0510, www.tucsonaudubon.org
Contact local freelance writer Elena Acoba at acoba@dakotacom.net