River Cottage Autumn Free fruit for all in Sheffield

Date Published:

23/10/2008

A team of volunteers in Sheffield has found a way to harvest and make use of the local glut of apples, pears, figs, peaches and plums that are often left to rot where they fall

The Abundance crew gain permission to pick the fruit from people's gardens, shopping centres, derelict land and other unlikely urban corners. The fruit is then redistributed to poorer areas of the community on a non-profit basis, with some of the apples being pressed into juice.

This year, one of the founders, Stephen Watts, reckons there'll be 250 fruit trees to harvest. The apples have done well but frosts struck late after some trees had already flowered and disrupted the pollination. Across the country, plum trees have been badly affected and this fruit is unusually scarce.

Stephen has gathered 50 volunteers, split into three groups. Each team is sent a 'tree-list' and a set of map co-ordinates. Harvesting times vary from year to year so, whilst the teams have a pretty good idea of when to go, making the most of the urban abundance doesn't strictly follow the calendar. Throughout the season, each group will pick the fruit on about eight trees every week.

Once fruit is harvested it is taken to one of three stores, dotted around the city. From there, the apples, pears, figs, peaches and plums are distributed to Sheffield's toddler groups, schools and pensioners.

For more information on the Abundance scheme, go to www.growsheffield.com.
Details of an equivalent scheme in Manchester can be found at abundancemanchester.wordpress.com

For further advice and information on taking care of our orchards see www.commonground.org.uk, www.nat-orchard-forum.org.uk, www.ptes.org, www.sustainweb.org or www.naturalengland.org.uk

Get your seasonal feast on with Hugh's River Cottage recipes

More information from River Cottage Autumn

NB: Check out these important environmental issues for gardeners

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