Become a Fruit Picker
Pick Fruit With Us!
When a neighbor has more fruit than they can handle, our teams step in to help. Led by a Pick Leader, Fruit Picker volunteers head out to help harvest the bounty and split it three ways:
- 1/3 for the tree registrant
- 1/3 between the volunteers on the pick
- 1/3 for local community agencies addressing food insecurity
As a Fruit Picker, you’ll discover Toronto’s “hidden orchard”: an urban canopy of cherries, apricots, pears, grapes, and more. This role is a fruitful way to enjoy the outdoors, meet your neighbours, and bring home fresh, local fruit – all while helping us share the harvest with more Torontonians!
Our system will email you invitations based on your preferred neighbourhoods. Pickers can join up to 3 picks per season, but we often open extra spots beyond the 3-pick limit, so keep your eyes out for email invites!
To keep our program growing, we invite Fruit Pickers to make a contribution of $10. To learn more about Harvest Shares, see here.
What to Expect on a Pick
Most harvests take place in cozy urban front or backyards in small teams of about five people. Here’s how the magic happens:
1. Arriving & Orientation
When you arrive, you’ll wait for your Pick Leader before entering the yard or starting to harvest (even if you’ve done this before!). They will kick things off with a quick welcome, an orientation to the tree, and a safety briefing on how to use our equipment (like telescopic poles and ladders).
Every tree and every pick is different, and it is important to remember that while Pick Leaders do their best to ensure a successful and enjoyable harvest, some elements can be out of our control. Sometimes there’s an abundance of fruit, and sometimes there’s not. That’s just the diversity of our city’s Urban Orchard!
2. Fruit Pick Roles
There’s a job for everyone on a pick! Roles include harvesting (including hand-picking or using fruit-picking tools); climbing & spotting by safely climbing a ladder or tree or holding a ladder from the ground for someone; ground support by gathering windfall, sorting the fruit, and helping the Pick Leader weigh the bounty for our three-way split.
3. Managing Windfall & Debris
To keep the harvest safe, we distinguish between two types of fallen fruit.
Debris: this is fruit that’s already on the ground when we arrive. We begin every pick with a yard clean and compost the debris immediately to keep it separate from the fresh harvest (and to keep anyone from slipping on mushy fruit!).
Windfall: this is fruit that falls during the pick. While we don’t donate windfall to agencies, it’s often still good to eat! We weigh it separately so it can be shared among volunteers (just be sure to give it a good wash at home).
4. During the Pick
Please take breaks as you go – harvesting can be very physically demanding! Your Pick Leader will keep an eye on the time and encourage folks to switch tasks occasionally to let everyone try a new skill.
Remember that everyone brings their own unique experiences and abilities to each fruit pick. We ask all Fruit Pickers to treat everyone, including the land and the tree, with compassion and respect, and make sure that you leave space for everyone to share the joy of fruit picking.
5. Wrapping Up
Once the tree is picked to our satisfaction, or we hit the final 30 minutes, it’s all hands on deck! While the fruit is being weighed, the rest of the picking team helps by: sanitizing and packing up equipment, sweeping, and leaving every yard looking as clean (if not cleaner) than we found it.
Our Pick Leaders always appreciate help in delivering fruit donations to community groups after the pick is done. Let them know at the start of the pick if you’re able to support this step!
If you feel unwell, have been in contact with someone who is ill, or simply can’t go anymore, we ask you to cancel your registration as soon as possible so someone else can join. A reminder that all Fruit Pickers agree to the Volunteer Fruit Picker Agreement and Release upon registering to keep things intentional, fair, and fruitful.
Frequently Asked Questions
When will I receive invitations to pick fruit?
The fruit season in Toronto runs from mid-June to mid-October! Our Pick Leaders volunteer their time to plan and host picks by reaching out to Tree Registrants to schedule a pick when the fruit is ready based on a number of conditions. When there are harvests happening in your chosen neighbourhoods, you will receive an email invitation, but we can’t guarantee what day or time of the week that will be. Click the link to register for the pick, and you’ll be emailed a confirmation with all the details of the pick you’ve signed up for.
Why are picks often full?
We’re lucky to have many eager volunteers! While picks have always filled up quickly (especially depending on the type of fruit or on weekends), spots do open up when people cancel. Please check the portal for last-minute open spots if you find room in your calendar. To help get more folks picking, our portal has a waitlist feature, allowing you to join the back up list for picks you’re interested in, and receive a text message alerting you to a spot being held for you. If you can no longer make it, it’s important to decline your spot on the waitlist as soon as you can so that the invitation is extended to the next person in line!
If you’d like to pick more fruit on your schedule, consider becoming a Pick Leader!
Can I bring a friend or young person?
Please do not bring any surprise guests with you. When joining a pick, you’re reserving one spot for yourself, and you are also registering as someone who was signed the appropriate waivers and been provided the information you need ahead of time. If you want to bring a person younger than 16, you must ask the Pick Leader by reaching out to them via email or phone. Please know that many pick locations are not ideal for young people, as they may involve uneven ground, proximity to traffic, falling fruit, and usually involve ladders and other equipment. Pick Leaders have the final say on whether or not a young person can join.
How do I prepare for a fruit pick?
Review the Pick details on the Portal before you head out, and ensure you arrive on time. Please dress appropriately: wear sturdy closed toe shoes you don’t mind getting dirty (no sandals, please), clothes you don’t mind getting a little messy, and a brimmed hat to avoid debris in your eyes or hair. Bring along containers for your share of the fruit, gardening or vinyl gloves if you don’t like your hands to be dirty or sticky, ample water, ice packs if it is very hot, and any emergency medication, such as Epi Pen (especially if you are allergic to bees).
Does bad weather mean my pick is canceled?
We pick rain or shine, but not in heavy heat, bad air quality, or with the risk of a thunderstorm! If the following weather events are occurring at the site of the pick, anticipate hearing from the Pick Leader that the pick is canceled: temperature at or above 31C, humidex value at or above 40, air quality health index at or above 7, thunderstorm warning.
Why am I charged to pick fruit?
Harvest Shares are not a “fee”, but rather an invitation to contribute to our project through a model of shared abundance: the belief that when we pool our resources (whether they are fruit, time, or funds), we create a sustainable urban food model that benefits everyone. We waive shares for anyone who asks, no questions asked. We especially encourage Indigenous community members and Youth to utilize this option. Our goal is to ensure that the joy of fruit picking and the abundance of the land are accessible to those who have been systemically excluded, and/or are beginning their journey as community stewards. Drop us a line at picks@notfarfromthetree.org and we will get you set up!
Have more questions about becoming a Fruit Picker?
We’d love to help! Get in touch with us at picks[at]notfarfromthetree.org.