Fruit Harvest Project

What is the Fruit Harvest Project?

The aim of this project was to create a network of active members of the community to ensure fruit was not wasted and could be shared. Fruit tree owners with fruit gluts could post an item to the bulletin to get volunteers to harvest their fruit. They could also borrow an apple press and crusher, and a fruit picker. Members of the community could look for wild fruit to pick and volunteer to collect a fruit glut.

The project came to an end, due to problems of scale. In short there was too much fruit and not enough mechanisms to distribute it! This project could be revived to work on a small, community-managed scale.

What did the Fruit Harvest Project achieve?

Borrow an apple press and crusher – a lovely way to quickly process a fruit glut! In addition to the apple press, you’ll need buckets, chopping boards and knives, bottles or plastic containers and a few willing hands to make it all happen. Transition Cambridge used an apple press, and a crusher (to chop the apples up before putting them in the press). The press was a 9-litre Vigo Press – you can see more info and pictures of the press and ‘classic crusher’ on the Vigo website. Trumpington Community Orchard also has an apple press available to borrow. £20 returnable deposit and donation requested e.g. £10 for a weekend.

Borrow a fruit picker – Transition Cambridge has a claw basket fruit picker on a 1.5m pole. It’s currently in the CB4 area. Please contact Jacky to arrange borrowing.

Transition Bulletin – Fruit tree owners could post a community news item to the Transition Bulletin here – it appeared in the Fortnightly update, which reaches around 2000 people in and around Cambridge. Posters were asked to include a contact email (protected so that it didn’t attract spam!).

More Context and History

Cambridge Fruit Map.: a map that identifies areas of wild fruit around Cambridge, which is available for picking. Please remember to ask permission of land owners or park wardens before you pick!

Online Resource for Fruit Identification.

Apples and Orchards: advice on orchard matters from growing and pruning to local varieties.

Simon's Cider: Simon’s Cider is an organisation that will take excess fruit and give back a proportion of juice or cider

To find out more contact Jacky