Fruit Tree Program
A Harvest Sharing Program July - November Fruit & Nuts which would otherwise go to waste are harvested by volunteer pickers and shared between the volunteer, the homeowner and the community. |  |
| we_noticed_you_have_a_fruit_tree.pdf |
Be a Tree Scout!
If you know of a tree that isn't being picked,
let the owner know about our program!
Safety and Guidelines for Fruit Tree Picking
Please be aware that you are picking at your own risk. If you have any type of allergy, or if you have other health concerns, take the necessary precautions before coming to the picking site.
Your supplies:
- Bring boxes and grocery bags for picking and sorting fruit
- Wear appropriate shoes and clothing for tree climbing, cleanup and weather, closed-toe shoes (no sandals)
- Bring water to drink
- Picking Baskets (important as it will allow volunteers to have use of both hands)
- Bathroom Scale is useful to weigh the harvest
- First Aid Kit is always a good idea
- Lots of boxes – these can be retrieved at your local grocery store, produce box (apple, pear, plum, banana) work best as they are easy to stack and are not very deep so their weight usually does not surpass 40 pounds.
- Shovels, rakes, tarp, ground clothfor cleaning up underneath the tree
Greet the tree owner when you first arrive. Ask whether or not they would like to receive their third of the fruit. Arrange to leave it in boxes by their door.
- Ask owners where the compost is located
- Decide who will cleanup windfalls and who will pick high apples
- Walk around the trees before picking. Check for broken branches, bee hives, and large fruit deposits that could cause injury.
- Bruised fruit will rot much faster than intact fruit. Be careful when picking the fruit, putting fruit in boxes and stacking boxes so as not to bruise or crack the skin of the fruit. Try to pick fruit with the stem attached, as this will also extend the storage life of the fruit.
- Windfalls, and any fruit that touches the ground during harvest must be segregated from the rest of the fruit. This fruit must be either used as pig food or juiced and pasteurized to kill any possible bacteria. It is useful to separate useful windfalls out from pig feed fruit.
- Orchard Ladders (3 legged) are a million times more practical and safer than standard 4-legged Step ladders. A rake and a shovel are useful if there are large quantities of windfalls.
- Shaking trees is not advisable for the following reasons: `Fruit will bruise and consequently not keep as long
- Fruit that touches the ground is at risk for E.coli contamination
- Low hanging power lines
- Signs of bears
- Broken or weak tree limbs
- Bee or wasp’s nests
- Anything else you feel may pose a threat to the picker
- When using an orchard ladder in a hilly area:
- 2 legs should be on the lower part of the hill
- 1 leg should be firmly planted slightly uphill
- When using an orchard ladder on flat land: Use body weight to push the support leg into the ground
- When using a standard household ladder: Use on flat land, or against a tree trunk for support on unlevel terrain
- Pick in pairs if possible
- Do not pick underneath fruit laden branches
- Do not allow children to play under trees
- Stay at your comfort level while picking
- Maintain balance when on ladders or while tree climbing
Environmental Protection:
- Do not break branches
- You are responsible for waste and garbage cleanup
Finishing Up:
All of the fruit is gathered together and divided into thirds. Fill grocery bags with fruit and tie them. One third is to be delivered to a community organization, one third to the owner and one third is to be divided equally among pickers and yard cleanup helpers. If the owner chooses not to keep a third, the fruit is split in half, half to the community and half to the pickers. Please keep a record of the total number of bags picked and any other notes on the picking site. Call 250-331-0152 to report the types and quantity of fruit picked as well as the community organization donated to. Please return all tools and ladders.
Storage
- Fruit will keep much better if it is unbruised, if the skin is unbroken and if the stem is still attached.
- Store fruit in as cool a location as possible, out of the sun.
- Rotten fruit will spread and can spoil other fruit (one bad apple…).
- Very ripe fruit can induce nearby fruit to ripen faster.
- Rodents are a concern, particularly if the fruit is stored outside. (Rodents can also spread E.coli)
- Ideally fruit is stored off the ground to prevent contamination.
- Storage for Fruit Tree Projects has varied from backyards, sheds, to office space. It is important to store fruit in an area that can be monitored daily so that none of it rots. You know what they say one bad apple spoils the bunch., and trees can be damaged from being shaken