With an abundance of fruit growing on the south island, is shifting the way food is accessed and distributed through the .
For close to 20 years, the project has been rescuing fruit from the trees of islanders who donB次元官网网址檛 have either the time or the ability to do it themselves. What started with a car and an idea has grown into a successful volunteer-run organization connecting people in caring for both the land and each other.
Tim Fryatt, project manager of the Fruit Tree Project, said last year was a record season with the collection of 600,000 pounds of apples, cherries, peaches, pears and grapes. Even quince, almonds and walnuts are picked, mostly from urban areas.
B次元官网网址淰ictoria is a unique place that gained a reputation in the nineteenth century for fruit growing,B次元官网网址� Fryatt said, adding that heritage trees are much more productive than younger stock.
But, Fryatt estimates more than 100,000 pounds of fruit doesnB次元官网网址檛 get harvested each year. As the city grew and land was cleared to build homes, the trees were left because homeowners liked them, he said.
B次元官网网址淎 lot of people who have fruit trees probably inherited them, and donB次元官网网址檛 know how to take care of them properly,B次元官网网址� he explained.
The project is developing programs to help with this, as well as offer more education to property owners on how they can provide better care for the trees, themselves.
While yields are lower this year, due in part to the trees recuperating from two years of drought, the project has partnered with again. Kala Hadfield, a brewer and cider maker with the family owned business is excited about this yearB次元官网网址檚 fall offering: spiced apple beer. Hadfield describes it B次元官网网址渓ike a snakebite, and putting a twist on that by adding cinnamon, nutmeg and clove directly into the brew.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淧umpkin beers are becoming a dying trend,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淭his is a good way to celebrate the [apple] harvest.B次元官网网址�
The Fruit Tree Project distributes the collected fruit to over 45 community partners including food banks to help address food insecurity. Most recently, the team was at the where Fryatt said fruit was handed out to 1,200 people.
B次元官网网址淔ood is all around us, passively growing,B次元官网网址� Fryatt said. B次元官网网址淭his is an exciting example of how much we can grow in an urban setting and how we can shift our minds to contribute to our food.B次元官网网址�
