Last week we started harvesting kiwis, the last fruit variety on our harvest schedule for the season. We’ll continue to harvest for a few more weeks but it’s official, we’re at the last stage of the 2018 Seattle Great Fruit Harvest.
And what a year it has been! We have harvested 46,683 pounds of fruit so far, second only to 2016. We were able to visit more tree owners than ever, thanks partially to the Harvest for All campaign. We expanded to include ALL of Seattle plus select communities in South King County, which led to record breaking numbers of harvests and harvest sites this year. It is quite an extraordinary achievement for such a small crew of harvesters. And it certainly wasn’t without challenges, with the unprecedented level of smoke from the wild fires, long heat streaks, and increasingly wide-spreading pest damages, all making their job more challenging. A huge kudos to this year’s hard-working harvest crew, Luke, Asya, Sam, Jessca and Christian!
Earlier this year we asked tree owners to become a City Fruit member to help support our harvest program. This was an important step in our effort towards building a stronger fruit sharing community with more buy-in from tree owners. And indeed many of you showed your support in a big way! Nearly 300 tree owners became a member so that we can continue to expand our fruit community and connect more people to our city’s orchards, trees, fruit, and with each other.
Thank you to all of you who made this year’s Great Seattle Fruit Harvest such a success.
Now let’s take a look back at the 2018 Harvest…
2018 Great Seattle Fruit Harvest
Total fruit harvested: Total # of harvests: Total # of harvest sites:
46,683 lbs 594 417
JULY
Fruit varieties—Cherries, transparent apples, shiro plums, red summer plums and figs
- 2018 Harvest commenced wtih a cherry harvest on 7/3
- Launched the U-Pick Harvest Boxes, a new, easy way to participate in the harvest
- Jessca, an intern from Seattle Youth Employment Program joined the crew
AUGUST
Fruit varieties—Apples, shiro plums, red summer plums, Italian Gage plums, Japanese plums, Italian plums, figs, Asian pears, Bosc pears, Bartlett pears, grapes,
- Introduced the Fruit for All CSA for City Fruit members.
- Expanded the partnership with the International Refugee Committee (IRC) in South King County
SEPTEMBER
Fruit varieties—Apples, Italian plums, Asian pears, Bosc pears, Bartlett pears, grapes,
- City Fruit Cider released (and dropped off more apples for next year’s City Fruit Cider!)
OCTOBER
Fruit varieties—Apples, Asian pears, quince, figs, grapes, persimmons, chestnuts
- Commemorated City Fruit’s 10th anniversary at City Fruit Celebrates
- Harvest menu featuring our fruit!
NOVEMBER
Fruit varieties—Apples, quince, persimmons, kiwis
- City Fruit first, hardy kiwis harvest!
