About
Apr 5th, 2008 by Not Far From The Tree
Residential Fruit-Picking Program
The core of our programming is our residential fruit-picking program, where we pick fruit from trees that would otherwise go to waste. We help fruit tree owners make use of the abundance of fruit that their trees offer by dispatching teams of volunteers to harvest it for them. One third goes to the fruit tree owners, another third goes to the volunteers for their labour, and the final third is distributed (by bicycle or cart) to community organizations in the neighbourhood who can make good use of the fresh fruit.
In 2008, our first full season, we picked over 3,000 lbs of fruit in Toronto’s Ward 21 where we partner with NaMeRes, Humewood House, and Wychwood Open Door to provide fresh, local, virtually-organic fruit to their food programs. For 2009, we expanded to East York in collaboration with The Shoelace Collective, and Parkdale-High Park in collaboration with Greenest City and successfully picked 8,135 lbs of fruit that would otherwise have gone to waste. To support our 2010 season, which has yet to receive significant funding, find out how to donate here.
We’d Tap That! – Syrup in the City
Think the urban forest can only feed us in the summer time? Think again! Not From From The Tree is pleased to announce a new project we’re launching this winter.
While many of us know that maple syrup can come from rural sugar maple forests, it’s also true that most varieties of our urban maple trees have sweet sap which can be boiled down into tasty syrup. This winter we’re cooking up a pilot project to tap 8-10 residential maple trees and then boil down the sap in a communal Sugaring-Off party.
To get involved by signing up your maple tree, offering to volunteer, or donating supplies, contact the fabulous team of volunteer organizers at tapthat@notfarfromthetree.org.
Spadina Sundays (formerly Spadina Saturdays)
At Spadina Museum, a wide variety of fruits and vegetables are grown to show what would have been in the gardens and orchards when the house was originally occupied. Now that the house is a museum, only a small portion of this produce finds its way to a plate. Not Far From The Tree has established a formal channel for this food to be consumed by selling fruit and fowers from Spadina at the Green Barn Farmers Market when we first began in 2007. In 2009, we decided to no longer sell the fruit at the farmers’ market but instead to donate it to our local social service partners in Ward 21. The drop-in picking sessions used to happen on Saturdays but happened instead on Sundays in 2009.
Community Orchards
In partnership with Growing for Green, we’re helping to support Toronto’s first community orchard in a public park. To be involved with the community orchard initiative, send an email to communityorchard-subscribe@mylists.ca.
For updates on the community orchard, catch up with the Ben Nobleman Community Orchard blog.
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