Program aims to collect extra harvest to share with charities
Backyard growers in Calgary who create bountiful harvests will be able to share their spoils with local organizations this summer.
Home Harvest is returning to the city to connect gardeners to volunteers who will help collect and donate fruits and veggies to various service agencies.
Using the Leftovers App, people who have large amounts of rhubarb, apples, celery and other greenery can be connected to a volunteer who will harvest the crop.
Half of what is collected will be donated to charities such as Calgary Community Fridge, Calgary Dream Centre, or Leftovers' Anew, while the other half will go to the grower and volunteer.
Shelby Montgomery, vice-president of programs for Leftovers Foundation, said the grower can set what the share is between the volunteer and themselves, but the recommendation is a 50/50 split.
“If you have any family or friends that have an apple tree, you know, there's so many more apples than you could possibly use in the season, and they usually end up in the compost bin,” said Montgomery.
“The beauty of the program is it's all voluntary, it's all volunteer effort, and you know that food gets captured while it's still fresh and still can be enjoyed by someone.”
The program officially launched Friday with a harvest in southeast Calgary, beginning the second year of its operations in Alberta. In 2020, volunteers harvested 876 pounds of produce in Edmonton and Calgary.
Montgomery said this year they have partnered with Calgary Harvest and a local organization in Edmonton, which will allow them to tap into their established networks and expand the program this summer.
“What would be really exciting would be to see a diversity of food coming through this program,” said Montgomery. “I think anything we can get that's still fresh and good quality is going to be really great. But I'll be so excited if, over the course of the season, we can see everything from cherries to kale to plums.”
She said anyone interested in getting involved can go online to find more information at rescuefood.ca/home-harvest.
“This program is a win-win-win,” said Montgomery. “It's a win opportunity for the grower as they get that produce picked for free, it's a really easy entry volunteer opportunity where you get to be outside, and then it's a win for our charities who are supporting lots of folks.”