I’ll admit, one of the reasons I don’t want to plant a fruit tree is that there’s little chance I’d be able to keep up with a harvest on a mature tree, and I’d end up with a fruity, mushy mess each year.
But in Toronto, an innovative little start-up has come up with a solution. The group, Not Far From the Tree, finds fruit tree owners who don’t have the time or resources to pick fruit, then dispatches volunteers to climb and harvest.
It’s a fantastic idea. Here’s how the harvest is split: 1/3 to the tree owner; 1/3 to the volunteer pickers; and 1/3 to local groups who help feed Toronto’s homeless and disadvantaged.
Farm-preneurial Farmgirl Laura Reinsborough tells the Toronto Star that the effort is spurred by an increase in understanding about climate change.
“If you can reduce food miles in your own neighborhood and get hands-on experience, it’s another way to understand and address that problem,” she says.
Photo from the Not Far From the Tree Flickr photostream.
Virtual Farmgirl 