The Brockley Harvest

Transition Brockley is organising a local fruit harvest. They say:

Have you got a fruit tree? Donate part of your tree's harvest for distribution to the local community (you get first share, of course).

Or volunteer to be an urban harvester (September and October) and have fun getting involved with picking, distributing and / or processing the fruit. Then come along to a harvest celebration.

Brockley has an abundance of fruit trees and a lot of fruit goes to waste because the fruit isn't picked.

As a preliminary to the fruit orchard planting in Hilly Fields Park in November, and also as an independent project, Transition Brockley is organising some local fruit harvesting in the autumn. The aim of harvesting is to benefit from our local produce, raise awareness of the fruit bounty on our doorsteps, help people harvest their fruit and redistribute the surplus amongst the community on a non-profit basis.

We will need lots of volunteers for the actual harvesting and distribution, but to start with we'd like to map what fruit trees there are in the area. Most of them are in gardens, so if you know of any, we'd love it if you could tell us the type of fruit tree (ie apple, pear, plum etc) and the address. If you know approximately when the fruit is ready for picking that would be helpful too.

If you'd like to be involved in any way, please let us know. Some of the things that need doing are:

- Mapping the trees (with details of address, cropping time, owner's contact details)

- Contacting owners of fruit trees by knocking on the door, talking to them and leaving a leaflet.

- Identifying sources of, and collecting boxes and crates for carrying fruit.

- Harvesting (tree climbers, tarpaulin holders and sorters).

- Loan of equipment e.g. fruit picker, bike trailer, large juicer / crusher

- Helping with an event to celebrate with juicing and sampling of other uses of fruits (possibly on Hilly Fields).

This is an exciting project very much in tune with Transition priorities for working as a community to reduce our carbon footprint and we hope that you will be inspired to assist in some way.

If you can help please contact: Brockleyharvest@yahoo.co.uk by the 11th September.