Harvest your own tree through our U-Pick program
Picking your own fruit saves City Fruit time and resources, while allowing you to donate your fruit AND time with us. Simply pick your fruit and place them into paper bags, reusable totes, or shallow boxes, and let us know to come pick them up! (To avoid crushing soft fruits like plums and berries, please do not stack fruit). Please email [email protected] or call our office line at (206) 922-3967 at least 2-3 days before you harvest so that we can plan when to come by to pick up the fruit. You are also welcome to drop-off fruit at our office.
Don’t wait until the fruit starts to drop to the ground! If the fruit has already fallen, then we cannot donate this fruit to food banks, but we can set aside this windfallen fruit for cider makers who will press and ferment the fruit. We CANNOT accept any fruit that has broken skin or large soft spots, as these fruits will mold quickly and contaminate other fruits in storage. Donated fruit of this quality will be immediately composted.
Please see our FAQ below for more information on the types and quality of fruit that we are able to accept.
Harvest FAQ
What types of fruit can we take?
City Fruit can accept a wide variety of fruit types, including but not limited to apples, crabapples, grapes, quince, plums, figs, Asian and European pears, kiwis, persimmons, cherries, pawpaws, apricots, and pluots. We also accept donations of berries and tomatoes, although we ask growers to please U-Pick these fruits.
Can we take fruit that is undersized, bruised, or buggy?
As a food justice organization, City Fruit’s priority is to harvest pest-free, market quality (USDA Size 1 or 2) fruit to share with neighbors. If you know that your fruit is undersized (Size 3+) or pest-damaged, consider harvesting your fruit through our U-Pick program. We may be able to redirect it to partners who can process the fruit into sauces, jams, ciders, and more! While we can accept fruit with mild bruising for immediate processing, we CANNOT accept any fruit that has broken skin or large soft spots, as these fruits will mold quickly and contaminate other fruits in storage.
You may also sign up your tree with us for harvest if you’d like a City Fruit team member to pick your fruit. However, because we have limited staff and prioritize market quality fruit, we cannot guarantee the harvest of your tree during the season.
If you’re a baker, cider-maker, jam-maker, and want access to damaged or undersized fruits, feel free to reach out to [email protected] for more information!
