Give fruit!
Armed with only a ladder, a few cardboard boxes, and a growing team of volunteers, The Community Fruit Tree Harvest is ready for another season of helping Seattle residents donate their homegrown fruit to food banks and meals programs.
The idea is simple: Many of us watch our backyard fruit trees produce more than we could ever eat, yet thousands of families here in our own community continue to battle hunger on a daily basis. These families rely on food banks, but finding fresh, locally grown fruit at the food banks is rare. Inspired by the 32,000 pounds of locally grown organic vegetables that Lettuce Link and P-Patch gardeners deliver annually to local food banks, the Community Fruit Tree Harvest continues to reduce food-insecurity with fresh apples, pears and plums from our neighborhood backyards.
In its second year (2006), the project delivered over 3,000 pounds of fruit to thankful meals programs and food banks. Similar established programs in British Columbia have gleaned as much as 20,000 pounds of fruit annually. While this amount may seem staggering today, with your help, it can become a reality in the future.
To Donate Fruit
To donate your own homegrown fruit, call the Natural Lawn and Garden hotline at 206-633-0224 or email mailto:info@lawnandgardenhotline.org CFTH is interested in pesticide-free apples, pears and plums that are in good condition. Remember, if you wouldn’t want to eat it yourself, they can’t accept it. They can help you with fruit tree care as well.
To Volunteer
Community Fruit Tree harvest always needs volunteers to help with picking and delivering from July through October! Call Lettuce Link at 206-694-6761 or email mailto:gails@solid-ground.org
Scout: Evaluates tree, equipment needs, and estimates size of team needed.
Harvester: Picks fruit as part of a team. Sign up for as many days as you’d like.
Harvest team leader: Coordinates harvest team and delivery.
Support The Community Fruit Tree Harvest
To make a tax deductible charitable contribution to this project please contact Gail at 206-694-6761. They also greatly appreciate in-kind donations. Their wish list includes fruit pickers, fruit ladders, scales, signs, gloves, and waxed boxes.