In the backyards and wild places of our region, grow countless productive fruit trees. Much of the fruit that grows on these trees goes unharvested and wasted.
During the harvest season (December to June) The Harvest Project gathers excess fruit from these backyards, wild trees and local commercial orchards that would otherwise go to waste.
The fruit is split equally between the volunteers who help harvest, the fruit tree owners and local community organizations such as primary schools and food banks. In exchange for the fruit that is harvested we return in winter and prune the trees as well as removing rotten or damaged fruit (and giving it to free range chooks) to reduce pest and disease habitat. Any seconds quality fruit is preserved at ‘Food Jams’ for use in our other social enterprises like the school canteens. Anyone can join us as a volunteer.
Since the harvest project began in the 2011 harvest season, we have harvested over 23 tonne of fruit that would have otherwise gone to waste and distributed it to volunteers and in weekly boxes to more than 14 local community organisations.
Once the harvesting is finished for the year, we head back with our Harvest Team Leaders to prune each tree that we harvested from in that season. We invite volunteers to come along and prune with the team leaders, learning and getting hands on experience in how to maintain fruit trees at the same time. The volunteers help us care for our harvest trees and we help them brush up on their pruning skills.
Ways you can be involved:
- Register your fruit trees and read and sign our Share Care Agreement
- Become a harvest team leader
- Join us in harvesting or pruning
- Receive fruit for your community group
To find out when harvests or pruning sessions are happening, please join our mailing list.