By EnviroCentre
Have you ever seen apples on the ground beneath a tree and thought “That’s a waste, what a shame!”? Not only is it a waste of the natural resources that go into producing that apple, but it is also the loss of good food for someone who needs it. If all that fruit is just raked up and sent off to landfill, it produces harmful methane, a type of greenhouse gas that is approximately 28 to 36 times more impactful than CO2!
EnviroCentre is trying to help. We recently brought Hidden Harvest on board – a local food rescue program that picks and shares fruits and nuts that would otherwise go to waste. This is done through volunteer-led harvest events at properties where folks have registered their fruit trees. The bounty is shared with volunteer pickers, the nearest food agency, and the tree owner. With EnviroCentre’s goals of greenhouse gas reductions and providing folks with practical solutions to lighten their environmental impact, it is a natural fit.
Hidden Harvest has over 500 trees on private properties registered for harvesting, with dozens of those in Lowertown alone. Cherries, pears, apples, and grapes are all growing in the neighbourhood. Since its start in 2012, Hidden Harvest has rescued over 100,000 pounds of fresh, local produce,
which has diverted about 4,823 tonnes of CO2. With a network of volunteers, Hidden Harvest donates a portion of each harvest to more than 25 local food agencies, sharing fresh, local produce with the community.
Sound interesting? EnviroCentre could use your help!
Folks in Lowertown can get involved by training to become a Neighbourhood Leader. You can complete the free training at hiddenharvest.ca/offer-or-pick on your own schedule and connect with and learn from other leaders in the community along the way. Neighbourhood Leaders organize harvest events, teach volunteers how to harvest the fruit, and help organize harvest donations to local food agency partners so that everyone in our community can enjoy fresh, local food. Plus, Neighbourhood Leaders get to enjoy a portion of the local fruits harvested at each event!
Want to get involved but can’t commit to being a leader? You can register as a volunteer picker to help with harvests too at hiddenharvest.ca/volunteer-sign-up.
Help us feed your community! If you’re aware of any local food agencies or programs in need of support, reach out to us at hiddenharvest@envirocentre.ca.
To learn more about the program visit https://www.envirocentre.ca/hidden-harvest-ottawa/
