Lead Fruit Picks
Want to choose when and where you pick fruit?
When a Tree Registrant indicates that they have more fruit than they can use, Pick Leaders bring in a team of volunteers and come in to save the fruit and make good use of it!
By having first ‘pick’ of the fruit trees registered with NFFTT, Pick Leaders schedule, plan, and facilitate harvests in Toronto backyards between June and October. To make the magic happen, they bring the picking equipment, teach volunteers how to pick fruit, split the harvest three ways, and deliver fruit to community agencies after the pick!
All to say, Pick Leaders are the very roots of our fruit picking operation, without whom this program wouldn’t be possible.
We would love for you to join the team!
Become a Pick Leader!
As a Pick Leader, you get to schedule as many picks as you want each season, at times and locations that work for you.
Alongside fresh fruit throughout the season, you’ll receive Toronto’s love and affection (except maybe from the squirrels and raccoons), and get to host 1 private fruit pick per season just for family and friends.
Complete orientation.
Learn more about the role and process of planning and leading a fruit pick!
There are two ways to do this: join a live Pick Leader orientation OR review the online training and submit a final quiz to check your understanding. After receiving your final quiz submission, staff will follow up with you on next steps!
Attend picks to shadow and practice.
Attend 1-2 picks to shadow an experienced Pick Leader. Observe, ask questions, acquire fruit-picking techniques, check out the equipment bin, and take on responsibility as you feel comfortable, such as supporting Fruit Pickers, delivering donations, weighing fruit, etc.
Practice leading! These shadow picks are great opportunities to practice tasks like delivering the “Pre-Pick Welcome and Instructions” to fruit pickers, supporting the Pick Leader, sorting fruit, and more – let the Pick Leader know if you want to be involved in this way!
Lead your own ‘grad pick’.
When you feel ready to start leading, sign up for a pick and reach out to the Pick Leader to ask if you can make this your grad pick. Decide together how you want to share equipment pickup/drop off, fruit delivery to the agency, and filling out the Post Pick Report. Lead the pick from start to finish, arriving early to the pick, delivering the Pre-Pick Welcome and Instructions, and facilitating pickers.
PLITs are able to attend 3 picks per season, just like other Fruit Pickers. If you’re not ready for a graduation pick by your third pick, please reach out to staff and we can work together on it!
Begin leading!
If the Pick Leader is satisfied with how you did on your Grad Pick, they’ll follow up with staff to confirm you’re all set, and you will be “graduated” to a full Pick Leader in the Portal, giving you access to a list of registered trees, equipment, and other resources!
Staff will be in touch to congratulate you, ask you to sign waivers, and set you up with all you need.
From here, you’re a Pick Leader! Go forth, and happy picking!
We ask Pick Leaders to lead a minimum of 3 fruit picks in the season (planning and running 1 fruit pick can take between 3-5 hours total).