My friend Kim has been out picking fruit. Not her own, but from the community. She is a member of Operation Fruit Rescue Edmonton. This non-profit organization works with homeowners, offering the service of picking fruit from their trees and bushes that would otherwise go to waste. Homeowners can contact their office to take advantage of this service. 1/4 of the pickings goes to the homeowner, 1/4 to the food bank, 1/4 to the pickers, and 1/4 to Operation Fruit Rescue Edmonton for processing.
Amazed that I haven't heard of them before, I found their site and did a bit of research. The whole concept of picking to use fruit that would otherwise be wasted is smart; to do so on a larger organized scale is ingenious!
Here's what I learned about their philosophy:
Vision: The Edmonton capital region is a place where all of the locally grown fruit is used productively to support the health and well-being of the community.
Mission: OFRE will mobilize volunteers to harvest, process, and preserve local fruit. OFRE will get the fruit in the hands, mouths, and minds of people in the Edmonton capital region by fostering community involvement and knowledge sharing.
Values: (SCALE)
Sharing – Distributing of excess fruit to maximize use and minimize waste.
Connecting – Connecting people together to build a strong diverse community.
Access – Allowing anyone, no matter of their income, access to fresh local fruit.
Local - Think local, act local, for sustainable independent solutions.
Education – Empowering people through teaching, learning, and understanding the benefits of locally grown food. (taken from Operation Fruit Rescue Edmonton site: http://operationfruitrescue.org/about.)
If you have fruit trees but no time or for whatever reason are unable to harvest, please contact them via email: info@operationfruitrescue.org. For general information call: 780-433-2235
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