City Fruit promotes the cultivation of urban fruit in order to nourish people, build community and protect the climate. We help tree owners grow healthy fruit, provide assistance in harvesting and preserving fruit, promote the sharing of extra fruit, and work to protect urban fruit trees..
Current Projects: Distribution of seeds and plant starts for Plant-A-Row for the hungry, create a food bank garden plot in a community garden..
When volunteers sign-up, they are put on an email listserv (e.g. MailChimp). When a gleaning event is scheduled, an email is sent out to volunteers. If email is not an option for some, take the time to call them; it is worth it!
Historically, Florida has been a citrus mecca, and this produce was the bulk of SoSA’s gleaning. However, with back-to-back hurricanes and the spread of greening disease, this is no longer the case. The continuing pattern of hurricanes and other natural disasters has imperiled SoSA’s primary…
Beyond introducing new vegetables and working to convince food bank clients to take home unfamiliar produce, education can also include food preservation – what to do with excess fruit and veggies, or how to make the abundance of one season last into leaner times. Canning,…
In order to engage volunteers a Gleaning Coordinator can take some of the following steps: Talk with civic/volunteer groups/clubs such as Rotary, Kiwanis, Masons, Lions Club, Soroptomists, local business associations, etc. Talk with church leaders, especially outreach ministry coordinators. Hold informational events at public libraries…
Many partnerships have been formed through the work of this year’s VISTA. However, the most strategic of these partnerships are those around volunteer resources. With so much potential to use the cannery depending on the availability of volunteer groups, the VISTA acting alone could only…
Yes, you are collecting thousands of pounds of produce with hundreds of volunteer hours in order to benefit countless families in need. In order to garner real awareness and visibility, you’re going to need to learn how to tell the story of your project and…
All of the produce sourced into the cannery project comes from Northwest Harvest (NWH). Relations with Northwest Harvest as a donor have been extremely important to the vitality of “Yes, we CAN!” as a reliable source of produce for the coalition’s food banks. The VISTA cultivated…
Sonju Garden and Community Fruit Orchard This property was a commercial fruit orchard but was neglected and donated to the city of Des Moines. It sat unused for many years until the parks department, the Des Moines Area Food Bank and a neighborhood volunteer teamed…