The San Carlos Apache Culture Center Museum is holding a harvest of cholla buds and saguaro fruit.

The cholla bud harvest will be on Saturday, June 5, 2021 and the saguaro fruit harvest is on Saturday, June 12.

Community members who want to participate can come to the Museum at 7 a.m. on both Saturdays, and we will depart for the area where the old store was at Coolidge Dam.

Participants should wear boots or shoes that can protect them from critters in the desert.  They should also have water, snacks and perhaps a hat to protect them from the sun.

Cholla buds are high in calcium and can help in managing blood sugar levels for people who are diabetic. You can add cholla buds to stews, beans and salad, or just eat them as a snack.

The saguaro fruit has an extremely high content of vitamins B12 and C, and a high concentration of fiber.  The fruit can be made into preserve, jam or syrup.

Anyone who is interested in more information may call the Culture Center Museum at 928-475-2894.  Otherwise you can come to the Museum on both Saturdays and go on the harvest.