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Fruit Tree Project

Linen, flax, apples and more apples

On the last day of August I wandered along to a potluck information session on the Linen Project that Denise – who’s been driving the project forward under Victoria Transition‘s Reskilling umbrella – hosted. Although the sun was setting and the day’s participants had scattered, there was a full scale exhibition set up in the garden, and a spinner demonstrating how to spin linen from flax fibre that had been retted, broken, scutched and hackled by willing volunteers. A perfect plant, flax, offering flowers, food and fibre.

 

 

 

 

 

Meanwhile, the fruit continues its burst of plenty in these summery September days. I joined three other Fruit Tree Project volunteers this morning to pick a tree that yielded a spectacular 260kg of apples before we had to leave with promises to return.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After weeks of picking, juicing, freezing, baking and sharing my own apples, I finished stripping my yellow transparent tree on the weekend, which also had a record yield, and squeezed around 30kg into the Fruit Tree Project’s cooler, which is busting at the seams while its coordinators work to distribute the bounty between charities and local processors.

Things continue to flourish at Haliburton Farm too where our veg boxes this week included a first crop of apples from the farm’s replanted orchard, some herb bundles pretty enough to grace a table, and some rather beautiful sweet peppers.

 

Fruit Tree Project strikes again

I spent a fruitful morning yesterday with a dozen teens from the CISV Peace Bus out at Island View Beach on my first pick of the year for the Fruit Tree Project. As part of their cross-Canada tour, the teens involve themselves in community projects, aiming to make the trip carbon neutral. Picking local fruit fits the bill because it means less imported fruit is needed to feed the communities and enterprises where the unwanted urban fruit is distributed.

We were picking from trees that had been planted in a beachside campsite that the CRD took over a few years ago. Because the irrigation that had watered the trees had to be taken out (not up to code, apparently) there hasn’t been any watering since then, so the fruits tend to be small while the trees adapt to their new micro climate.

The Fruit Tree Project van holds all the ladders and picking equipment, together with weigh scales and as many sturdy boxes as can be found. Jesse, one of the program coordinators, lays it all out ready for the arrival of the bus, and gets everyone started, while a local TV cameraman covered the event.

 

 

 

 

 

A peaceful period of picking passes

 

 

 

 

 

and then it’s time to weigh and load the fruit in the van, clean up the fallen fruit, and head off to store it.

 

 

 

 

 

The cooler at Fruit Tree Project’s HQ – LifeCycles – where it’s normally kept is full to bursting while the team works on distributing the seasonal bounty to community groups and local food processors. So, with the help of Fruit Tree Project co-coordinators Renate and Jesse, we park nearly 500 lbs of apples in a trusted garage while the smaller quantity of pears and plums goes back to LifeCycles.