Saratoga residents invited to Community Harvest
Second annual event lets public pick some fruit
Apricot season is here, and West Valley residents can come pick their own fruit at the Heritage Orchard later this month.
The second annual community harvest at the orchard is scheduled for June 18 from 9 a.m.-3 p.m., city officials said.
“I'm thrilled the City of Saratoga will be hosting its second annual Community Harvest, bringing our residents together in the Heritage Orchard to pick delicious Blenheim apricots and get a taste of the city's agricultural past,” Mayor Tina Walia said in an email. “This event reminds me of some of my fondest experiences as a child, and I look forward to seeing the joy on the faces of others as they explore the orchard near their homes. Based on the success of the first community harvest last year, Saratoga families and children are eager to continue this tradition.”
The city will provide one-gallon buckets for fruit pickers, though participants are encouraged to bring their own containers if they wish to bring more `cots home with them.
Saratoga held its firstever community harvest last year, drawing in hundreds of residents to the Heritage Orchard to pick fruit. City Council voted earlier this year to make it a requirement of the orchard maintenance contract holders to host a community “you-pick” event for residents.
Saratoga is also working with Village Harvest, a nonprofit volunteer organization that picks fruit across the Bay Area and donates it to food banks. A portion of this year's harvest will be donated to the food banks and those in need.
The city first partnered with the nonprofit in 2020, when community volunteers helped pick and donate more than 6,000 pounds of fruit to local food banks.
The community harvest comes just one month after the orchard's maintenance contract was awarded to Orchard Keepers, a Santa Cruz-based landscaping company. Orchard Keepers has been operating the orchard since 2020, and focuses on soil regeneration. Novakovich Orchards held the contract with the town for more than 30 years before it was awarded to Orchard Keepers.
Novokovich Orchards produced dried apricots that were available for sale year-round in the community. Matt Novakovich said that by drying the fruit, fewer apricots are wasted because fresh apricots ripen too quickly to be donated or distributed in time.
The health of the orchard has been a top concern for the city council. Nearly 400 trees died over the last decade from the drought and other factors, and the remaining trees are at risk of an oak root fungus outbreak and gopher infestation.
Saratoga has a deep agricultural history. The West Valley used to be home to several fruit orchards and vineyards, and was once known to produce a third of the world's annual prune harvest.
The city designated the Heritage Orchard in 1984 to celebrate and preserve the area's history. It was designated as a Heritage Landmark by the city in 1988. It is now one of the few remaining orchards in the Bay Area and includes plum, apricot and cherry trees.
The Heritage Orchard is located at 13777 Fruitvale Ave. Parking for the Community Harvest is available at City Hall, 13777 Fruitvale Ave., or at Saratoga Library, 13650 Saratoga Ave.