A Seattle organization will be giving away and donating tens of thousands of pounds of fruit grown all over the city.
City Fruit puts the city’s fruit trees to their best use by harvesting and then making sure the harvest is shared with those who need it most rather than letting it go to waste.
The organization said the first harvest of the season is days away and that they will be harvesting over the next several months. A majority of the fruit will be donated to local food banks and meal programs.
City Fruit listed ways for Seattle residents to join:
- Register your trees – those who own fruit trees can register their trees to request City Fruit to harvest their fruit and donate it to a local food bank. To be included in this year’s harvest schedule, they must first register their tree with City Fruit, and then authorize the organization to harvest by July 31st.
- Share the harvest – those who are able to pick their own fruit are encouraged to request U-Pick Harvest Boxes. The U-Pick Harvest Box program is designed to increase the harvest capacity so that more fruit can be donated instead of ending up in compost.
- Become a member – anyone who wishes to support City Fruit’s harvest program is invited to become a member. City Fruit members receive various perks including a share of the Fruit for All CSA that offers an assortment of freshest, hyper-local fruit harvested right here in Seattle.
- Volunteer – there will be some volunteer opportunities in small groups for those who are eager to lend a hand to help harvest fruit in the fall, pending the safety recommendations from the city. Register here to receive updates regarding upcoming volunteer opportunities.
Last year, City Fruit harvested 36,636 pounds of fruit including apples, plums, pears, cherries, grapes, figs, quince, persimmons, and kiwis from 17 public orchards and nearly 300 private homes.
The organization said a majority of it was donated to over 20 community organizations throughout the city.
For more information on the program, click here.: www.cityfruit.org.
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