Community Fruit Tree Harvest
Fruit is a valuable community resource. In 2007, Community Fruit Tree Harvest volunteers harvested more than 10,000 pounds of apples, plums and pears from Seattle fruit trees
and delivered it to people with limited access to organic produce. (For a summary, see our 2007 Harvest Report.) Harvesting this fruit depends on significant community support.
-
Why harvest fruit? Every year thousands of pounds of fruit fall to the ground and rot, creating a public health hazard and a waste management problem. Meanwhile, thousands of Seattle residents can’t afford organic produce. Harvesting the fruit and delivering it to those who need it is a win-win situation.
-
Donate fruit. Fruit must be pesticide-free and in good condition. To donate fruit from your tree, call Seattle Tilth’s Garden Hotline at 206.633.0224 or email help@gardenhotline.org.
-
Harvest fruit. Volunteers harvest fruit from July through September. Regular harvests take place Tuesday evenings and Saturday mornings, and also are scheduled as needed or by special arrangement. Groups are welcome!
-
Deliver fruit. The Community Fruit Tree Harvest has delivered fruit to more than 40 organizations, including food banks, meals programs, shelters and senior centers. We need volunteers with vehicles to deliver this fruit.
To volunteer to harvest or deliver fruit, call Lettuce Link at 206.694.6746 or email gails@solid-ground.org.
The 2008 Community Fruit Tree Harvest is partially supported by the Natural Resource Stewardship Network comprised of the King County Conservation District, the King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks, and WSU Extension.
- Neighborhood harvests. Several Seattle neighborhoods are organizing neighborhood-based fruit harvests. These are: Ballard, Crown Hill, Phinney Ridge, Ravenna-Bryant, South Seattle, Wallingford and West Seattle.
-
Mapping trees. While information about the inventory of fruit trees in Seattle is important in preventing the waste of a valuable resource, there is currently little data on trees and where they are located. Several mapping projects are now underway.
-
Caring for fruit trees. The Community Fruit Tree Harvest provides information, workshops and assistance on caring for fruit trees.
To join a neighborhood harvest or mapping project, call Lettuce Link at 206.694.6746 or email gails@solid-ground.org.
Other fruit tree projects’ Websites have additional information. These include: