Our Impact

With your help, we’re turning urban fruit into a tool for social change.

Why Pick Fruit?

It’s a lot of fun! But more than that – the simple act of picking fruit goes a long way. It brings communities together, connects people to their environment, and demonstrates a sustainable food system is possible.

The Challenge

In Toronto, we’re surrounded by a massive urban orchard that produces 1.5 million pounds of fruit every year. Yet much of this fruit goes unpicked and falls to waste. Rotting fruit releases greenhouse gas emissions, and contributes to the massive problem of food waste. Fruit also shouldn’t be falling to waste when people are going hungry. In a city where 1 in 7 people are food insecure, we want to make sure as many people as possible have access to this healthy, local food source.

What We Do

Reduce Food Waste: by putting fruit to good use.
Increase Food Access: by engaging as many people as possible in the harvest.
Steward the Urban Orchard: by monitoring the health of fruit trees and providing training opportunities in fruit tree care.
Build Community: by bringing people together at fruit picks and community events, like cider pressing.
Create a Local Food System: to re-connect people to where their food comes from.

Our Community Partners

At every fruit pick ⅓ of the harvest goes directly to one of our 40+ community partners. We work with our partners to run fruit picks and workshops for the communities they serve.

Our Goals

Our ultimate goal is for everyone in Toronto to participate in the urban harvest. We are working to bring our program to more neighbourhoods every year. When you join our organization as a member, you help us work towards this goal. Thank you!

How Your Gift Will Support Our Program

Give the gift of fruit. Your donation supports a community of people using urban fruit to drive progressive change. Help us pick, share, and do more with fruit this season. Donate today!

Featured Partner: Riverdale Hub

The Riverdale Hub in the east end of Toronto houses the Social Gardener Café, Riverdale Gallery, unique event and workspaces, community gardens and work-based training programs. Their innovative space has been developed to inspire social entrepreneurship, drive innovation, and build community capacity.

The purpose of the Riverdale Hub is to sustain a vibrant organization that balances the socio-economic, cultural, environmental and artistic needs and aspirations of minority communities.