Not far from the tree

Often I fear for the planet and what we are doing to the environment, and then I am reassured to see that there are people who are looking around their community and trying find ways to act in responsible manner. One such group is: Not far from the Tree: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/07/community-fruit-harvest.php

This group supports the local food movement by looking around the community and finding those sources of food especially fruit trees that offer fruit which is usually left to squirrels that could be a source of food for local citizens. The squirrels are going to have to find other sources of food as the groups searches for fruit bearing trees and maybe even nuts. The groups picks the fruit: 1/3 for the owners of the trees, 1/3 for the volunteers and 1/3 to community organizations that can use the fresh fruit.


Apparently these kind of projects exist elsewhere and Toronto is a little slow to start but with the leadership of people like Laura Reinsborough many parties are benefiting. The group also visits Spadina House which has a historic garden and orchard-the same orchard that my trio plays in during the spring. Every Saturday, Suzanne Long, the volunteer in charge of the Spadina Saturdays receives a note from the museum's head gardener letting her know which trees are ready for picking. Her crew arrives picks the fruit for distribution.


Jamie Kennedy recently bought a bushel of heritage apples from the group and pears culled from the backyards of Ward 21.


This fall, the group plans to learn about canning and preserving and next year host public preservation workshops.


What a wonderful initiative!


http://www.notfarfromthetree.org/