Fruit Season is Around the Corner!

At Lettuce Link, most of our work exists at the intersection of urban farming, community organizing, and the emergency food system. Our Community Fruit Tree Harvest project really straddles all of these worlds.

Since 2005 we have been coordinating a fabulous crew of volunteers to harvest unwanted fruit and deliver it to food banks, shelters, and meal programs. We reduce waste by gleaning the excess fruit that tree owners can't use for themselves and their families. We bring together people who may not have volunteered before, but are passionate about healthy trees and sharing fruit. And, most importantly, we get fresh, local fruit into the hands and kitchens of clients at food banks and meal programs.

If you are a lover of fruit trees, a volunteer looking for a project to dig into, or someone curious about how to improve the food system in Seattle, come join our team! We are currently recruiting harvest leaders, harvest volunteers, and fruit donors.

Harvest Leaders

Get to know your neighbors, share food with your community, and keep that beautiful, organic fruit in your neighborhood from going to waste!

Responsibilities include:

• Coordinating 1-2 harvests/week in your neighborhood (July-October, depending on fruit availability) 
• Ensuring fruit is donated to local food banks, shelters, and meal programs 
• Storing ladders and picking buckets 

This is a volunteer position, but mileage is reimbursed. Please see the position description for details. To apply, download and submit a volunteer application and a short statement of interest to Mariah at fruitharvest@solid-ground.org by Friday, July 12th.

Harvest Leader orientations will occur on Tuesday, July 16, and Thursday, July 18, 6-7:30pm at Solid Ground (1501 N 45th St).

Harvest Volunteers

We need volunteers who can do one or more of the following:

• Scout trees ahead of time to see if the fruit is ripe 
• Harvest fruit at scheduled work parties and/or on an on-call basis 
• Provide garage space for storing ladders, picking buckets and/or fruit 
• Deliver fruit to food banks or meal programs 
• Host a fruit-oriented social for a neighborhood harvest crew, such as a canning, baking, or preserve-making party 

To get started, please download and submit a volunteer application.

Fruit Donors

If you have fruit to donate, please contact Seattle Tilth’s Garden Hotline at 206.633.0224 or help@gardenhotline.org. Depending on where you live, they can connect you with us or one of the other fantastic groups harvesting fruit in the Puget Sound region!