Fruit for the needy

Fruit trees going to waste in the garden will be a thing of the past, if a new grassroots fruit picking movement has its way.

Di Celliers, a resident of Browns Bay, is the organiser of Community Fruit Harvesters - a brand-new collective which aims to pick unwanted fruit from all around Auckland to fill needy tummies. The part-time assistant analyst at ASB Bank says that she only started Community Fruit Harvesters less than two months ago, and have been overwhelmed by the generosity and kindness of strangers.

“I got the idea for this because I don’t think Aucklanders generally have a very strong sense of community spirit. It’s grown over time, but we still need to reach out to each other.”

Di got the idea for Community Fruit Harvesters while working at her church’s community garden in Mairangi Bay. The orchard had many young trees that wouldn’t bear fruit for years yet.

“That’s when I thought, there must be so many people around Auckland with fruit trees in their gardens or orchards who would be willing to give [the fruit] away. That’s where it started really.”

Di spread the word with her friends and neighbours, who in turn passed on information about fruit trees going to waste round their area. She then rallied volunteers (including her own sons) into harvesting the fruit. The owners of the trees are allowed to keep as much of the harvest as they want, and give the rest away.

So far, Di has arranged to supply Auckland City Mission with the fruit, as the organisation supplies food banks all around Auckland. She says some innovative volunteers has even turned the fruit into marmalade and preserves - which makes them last longer. Di has had enquiries from all over Auckland, and encourages people to start “franchises” of the movement in their own areas.

“I’ve had enquiries about giving fruit to low-decile schools, which I’m more than happy to do, but the problem is they need to be able to pick up the fruit from me in the North Shore. Although in theory you can include vegetables too, we use fruit because it lasts longer and doesn't wilt so easily.”

It’s easier, she says, for people to pick up the idea and really run with it for the needy in their own locations. Di already has ideas for how the movement can grow in the future. One project she highly recommends is the “community harvest table”, where members can ‘sell’ excess produce from their own gardens for a small donation. She runs a table at her church, and the proceeds from that has so far funded two fruit picking tools.

If you are interested in joining the movement, check out the Facebook page. Di has so far had residents of South Auckland, Hibiscus Coast, East Auckland and Snells Beach enquire about starting the movement in their own backyards.