About Us
We pick fruit and share it.
Who We Are
We’re Toronto’s fruit picking and sharing project. Did you know Toronto is home to a massive urban orchard? Over 1.5 million pounds of fruit grows right here in the city every year. We work to connect generous tree registrants with excess fruit to volunteers in their community who are willing to pick and share it. No good fruit should fall to waste when so many people can use it!
The bounty from each fruit pick is split 3 ways: ⅓ is provided to the tree registrant, ⅓ is split amongst the picking volunteers, and ⅓ is delivered via cargo bike to one of our 35 social service agency partners, including food banks, community kitchens, supportive housing programs, and community health centres.
“If one wants to positively contribute to the sustainability of food in Toronto, what better way than to spend a couple hours with new peers in a joint effort to rescue and preserve fruit to share?”
Our Mission
Our mission is to harness the power of fruit trees to create healthy, resilient, sustainable and connected communities across Toronto. We empower Torontonians to pick and share fruit that would otherwise fall to waste while providing opportunities to connect more intimately with their neighbours, environment, and food system. We act as, and empower people to be stewards of the urban orchard to ensure it’s benefits can be realized for many generations to come.
Our Vision
We envision a Toronto where everyone has access to the urban harvest as part of a resilient, local food system that builds community, and is based on the value of shared abundance. To achieve this vision, we work to:
- Bring people together around the harvest
- Strengthen community ties
- Increase access to healthy, local fruit
- Raise public awareness of Toronto’s urban orchard as food source
- Promote the health and sustainability of the urban orchard
- Amplify the work of our 35 social service partner agencies
Our Impact
Since 2008, Not Far From The Tree has picked and shared over 190,000 pounds of fruit across Toronto. Our organization is made possible thanks to the generous support of over 1,800 tree registrants and 2,200 fruit pickers. A third of this harvest has been shared directly with our 35 social service agency partners.
Right now we operate in the downtown core, south of Eglinton, east of Jane, west of Victoria Park and north of the waterfront. We’re working to expand our operating area, and need your support to so!
Why Memberships?
Your membership not only provides much needed financial support to sustain our harvest program, but also represents a belief in our mission and buy-in to the sustainable community we are building together in Toronto.
Learn MoreOur Team
Our team is small but mighty! We’re dedicated to making your experience with our program the very best it can be. Not Far From The Tree is guided by a volunteer Steering Committee, and is a Project on MakeWay Charitable Society's Shared Platform.
Our Supporters
Our supporters make the work we do possible. A huge thank you to the following supporters who believe in our mission, and help pick and share fruit across Toronto.
By the Numbers
2020 Season
Partner Agencies Registered
Picks This Season
Pounds Picked
Pounds Donated
Since 2008
Total Picks
to Date
Number of
Registered Trees
Total Pounds
Picked
Total Pounds
Donated
