Posted in Foraged on Jun 10th, 2009
Last fall the New York Times reported on fruit tree projects around the States, the kind like Not Far From The Tree that organizes fruit picking and then shares the harvest. Today they’re putting their finger on the pulse once again with a beautiful article on public fruit foraging. It mentions the artsy urban pioneers [...]
Posted in Community Orchards, Foraged on Jun 2nd, 2009
My fruit-themed vocabulary has improved tremendously since embarking on this project (see pomological and usufruct). I can also initiate fascinating cocktail conversation about heritage apple varieties, though sustaining them depends upon the interest and/or benevolence of others. The world of fruit has many interesting words to offer, such as my latest discovery, “scrumping.” It appears [...]
Posted in Foraged, In Backyards, Resources on Apr 12th, 2009
The city is full of maple trees but most of them are Norway maples, so until this spring I was sure they couldn’t be used to make maple syrup. Then one day, I happened upon an urban experiment in my very own neighbourhood. Somebody had tapped a Norway maple in their front yard! I had [...]
Posted in Foraged, In Backyards, Spadina Saturdays (and Sundays) on Nov 28th, 2008
As we reflect back upon our first full season, it is the volunteers who must be celebrated most of all. Indeed, they are the backbone of this project. Here are a couple of stories they have to tell: Theresa: “Below is a picture of the pear tart I made for Thanksgiving. I used the uncooked [...]
Posted in Foraged, In Backyards on Oct 8th, 2008
A week or two ago we held our very first late-night pick. The timing wasn’t all that different from other evening picks, but the spookiness grows as the days get shorter. We donned headlamps, flashlights, and spotlights to find our way under the thick canopy of this tall golden delicious apple tree. Heather Ann paired [...]
Posted in Foraged on Sep 26th, 2008
I’m eating a foraged apple with my lunch today. I picked it this morning in the Cedarvale ravine near my home. It’s delicious. And deserving of a name. So I’ve got an immodest proposal. Let’s start a new naming convention to honour our local neighbourhood fruit trees. We’ll be carrying on the fine old tradition [...]
Posted in Foraged on Sep 24th, 2008
As we prepare for this weekend’s preserving workshop, I’m scrambling to schedule picks so that we have enough fruit to preserve. We’ve collected so much fruit that I didn’t anticipate we could ever get rid of it too fast, but we have high hopes for the workshop and need the fruit to accommodate our plans. [...]
Posted in Foraged on Jul 6th, 2008
Jason heard about not far from the tree at a Green Neighbours 21 meeting. Then he showed up at yesterday’s market with wonderful tales to tell. He explained that this project has changed the way he views the city, that now he sees fruit trees wherever he goes! This is exactly the kind of effect [...]
