Fruit for Share!

A couple of months ago I heard about Fruit Share, a new organization that had been started by Getty Stewart and the South Osborne Urban Community Cooperative. The idea of the Share is to connect fruit owners with volunteer fruit pickers so that all of the delicious, and nutritious local fruit growing in the Riverview/Lord Roberts area goes to good use. Stumbling upon their website I immediately signed up as a fruit picker and have had a number of interesting experiences picking and donating fruit as well as acquiring over 5 pounds of rhubarb!

Fruit Share founder Getty Stewart with a harvest of rhubarb.

Fruit Share connects fruit owners that sign up as such online, with fruit pickers and community organizations. Fruit owners contact the organization to let them know what fruit they have for picking, volunteers pick the fruit, then it is shared 1/3 to the homeowner, 1/3 to the volunteers, and 1/3 to community organizations that can use the fruit (eg. Winnipeg Harvest, Agape Table). This sharing system fosters community with homeowners, volunteers and community organizations all getting to know each other and promoting, local food production and knowledge of food preparation and preservation, as well as minimizing food waste.

My personal experience with Fruit Share has been a very positive one. The first time I went picking I was shocked to find a backyard with rhubarb stalks the width of my arm! I really have only been participating since May, but everyone I’ve met has been so wonderful, from the other fruit pickers, to the man who somehow managed to grow 4 foot high rhubarb plants, to the seniors at Fred Tipping Place that were so happy to have fresh rhubarb dropped off for them.

Fresh rhubarb for Siloam Mission.

The Fruit Share website is the place to be if you want to find out more about volunteering as a homeowner, picker, or community organization that might be interested in getting some locally grown and picked fruit. Make sure to also check out the website for blog postings, recipes, tips for preserving and much more. I strongly recommend checking this organization out, whether you live in the area and you want to participate, or if you live in a different community and want to start a Fruit Share of your own. Also, don’t hesitate to sign up if you are planning to do so, the nanking cherries are ripe, the rhubarb will keep growing, and the apples are well on their way, soon you too could be sharing in this exciting new local food initiative.

Dayna Kroeker is a research assistant at the University of Manitoba’s Environmental Conservation Lab and a Fruit Share fruit picker!