Creating Community Orchards June 25, 2014

Transcription

1 T Creating Community Orchards June 25, 2014

2 Here in Jefferson Jefferson Heritage Tree Council TCUSA 9 years Fortunate to receive many grants to allow us to plant lots of trees Provide community education Annual Foliage Fest Actual Tree Budget

3 White Collar Trees

4 Blue Collar Trees Real Jobs Get dirty along with the rest of us; unsung heroes Have additional purpose Collaborate and cooperate to address environmental issues

5 Blue Collar Trees Stream Bank Restoration Rec Center Erosion Control Detention Pond Plantings We are now thinking about Fruit Trees Why?????

6 Ask the Lady on the Street Corner

7 Plantings with a purpose The Turnip Patch Medicinal Herb Garden Edible Landscape

8 What does an Arborist Know about fruit trees? Fruit Growing 101 for Homeowners A free fruit growing workshop for homeowners will be held on Tuesday, February 26, 2013 from 6:45-8:00 pm at the Jefferson Civic Center, located at 65 Kissam Street. Refreshments will be provided. The workshop is being provided by the Jackson County Cooperative Extension Office, the Jefferson Heritage Tree Council and Master Gardeners.

9 Workshop Goals Inform you of different models that are being used Understand what it takes to deal with fruit (Sam) Funding sources (Sarah)

10 The Questions More money for fruit trees than shade trees? What kind of model appeals to you and would be a fit What would your mission be? Who gets the fruit? Define Orchard How, where and with whom are you going to do it? Who s paying for this? Who has the expertise for this type of growing? Knowledge partners?

11 Vancouver Boulevard Orchards Project of College Kids Mission: To increase the # of food trees To provide education about growing To provide garden spaces to groups and nonprofits To provide fruit for neighbors to share at pot lucks

12 Where to Plant By planting orchards in underutilized public spaces Specifically in public ROW s along neighborhood side streets (because as we become less of a carbon based society, we need to use streets for something other than spaces for cars)

13 Where

14 Design and Definition

15 Installation and Maintenance Installed by City workers and volunteers Long Term Stewardship by a Local Non-Profit How long IS Stewardship? (Steward vs. Partner)

16 Funding Initial Funding donation of goods and materials as well as cash donations and seed money from local organizations On-going Funding the responsibility of the Steward (who also decides how to use the harvest)

17 Barriers Finding a Steward City Regulations Tax Dollars producing food for a few Objections of Residents

18 Lessons Learned Don t do it on public ROW s Look at HOA s Find the neighborhood mayor Find a benefit for the neighborhood

19 Philadelphia Orchard Project

20 Mission To plant orchards in the city of Philadelphia that grow healthy food, green spaces, and community food security Rationale: Fruit and nut trees sequester more carbon emissions than the softwood trees typically planted for carbon offsets

21 Who POP works with community-based groups and volunteers to plan and plant orchards filled with useful and edible plants. Education Orchard Survey Orchard Festival at each orchard and bike tour

22 How POP provides plants, trees, and training CO owns, maintains, and harvests the orchards

23 Where Formerly vacant lots Community Gardens Schoolyards Other vacant spaces, almost exclusively in lowwealth neighborhoods where people lack access to fresh fruit

24 What Utilizes permaculture forest gardening techniques: Canopy of dwarf / semi-dwarf trees Middle layers of berry bushes Understory of perennials that attract beneficial insects, deter pests, build soil fertility and avoid need to spray toxic chemicals

25 Security Some fencing Little theft but no punishment for free harvest The hungry should eat

26 Application Process Safety and suitability of the site itself Long term legal site access Capacity of the group to care for the orchard Plans for distribution of the harvest Approval process can take up to 9 months.

27 Volunteer Opportunities Site selection Planting Event planning Outreach Fundraising

28 Barriers Neighborhood concerns about pesticide use Adopted sustainable / organic / IPM practices

29 Teens 4 Good

30 Teens 4 Good Supported by Federation of Neighborhood Centers Addressing hunger and poor nutrition since 2005 Training inner city youths by turning vacant lots into urban farms to grow for the community and people in need. Farmers Market

31 Funding 501 (c) 3 Cost of orchard development shared between POP and partners on a sliding scale Ongoing orchard costs responsibility of the community partner

32 Why Donate The benefits of orchards include: Improving nutrition and public health by building community food security. Restoring air, water, and soil quality. Bringing people together to make neighborhoods cleaner, safer, and more livable. Cutting fossil fuel emissions by sequestering carbon and localizing food supply.

33 Fund Raising NPR type fundraising One time donation Monthly donation (debited) Matching employer gifts In kind donation of trees and materials In your estate Sponsor an orchard (levels)

34 Unique Reason to Donate Carbon Offsets for Traveling

35 Foundation Sources ACE Charitable Foundation ACTrees Austelle Family Foundation Claneil Foundation Dry Family Foundation EarthShare PA Junior League of Philadelphia Natural Resources Conservation Service Patricia Kind Family Foundation Philadelphia Foundation Rosenlund Family Foundation Samuel S. Fels Fund Union Benevolent Association

36 Portland Fruit Tree Project

37 Mission Grass-roots, non-profit Provides a community-based solution to a critical and growing need: Access to healthy food. Rationale: Money doesn t grow on trees but fruit does

38 How Sharing in the harvest and care of urban fruit trees preventing waste Creating cost-free ways to obtain healthy, locally-grown food.

39 Tree Registration "We organize people to gather fruit before it falls, and make it available to those who need it most Register fruit and nut trees throughout the city, bring people together to harvest and distribute thousands of pounds of fresh fruit each year Teach tree care Teach food preservation in hands-on workshops."

40 Harvest Programs Fruit Tree Registry: All trees are registered by their owners. We work with tree owners to assess fruit ripeness, site accessibility, and harvest scheduling in advance of every event. Harvesting Parties bring neighbors together to pick fruit that would otherwise go to waste. Half goes to families in need through our local food bank partners, and half goes to participants. Group Harvesting to assist non-profits and other groups

41 Tree Steward Programs Tree Care Workshops provide hands-on opportunities to learn organic methods of tree care. Tree Care Teams engage long-term volunteers in developing advances tree care skills and performing much-needed care for registered fruit trees.

42 Food Preservation Canning, Freezing, Drying Hands-on workshops teach various methods and safe practices of fruit preservation, so that seasonal bounties can last year-round!

43 Fruit Beer Festival

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45 Volunteer Opportunities Harvest Leader Fruit Monitors Tree Scout

46 Funding Charge for Workshops Friend of PFTP with monthly debited donation Write a check Business sponsor Donate your vehicle Donate where you shop (rewards card/amazon

47 Wish List Tree Sales (buy or barter) Sale of T-shirts, mugs, books, etc.

48 Orchard Banquets A SERIES OF SUNDAY SUPPERS TO BENEFIT PORTLAND FRUIT TREE PROJECT Multi-course, fruit-themed dinners Prepared by outstanding local chefs Held in five beautiful home orchard setting

49 Foundation Funding Sources Meyer Memorial Trust The Bill Healy Foundation Oregon Community Foundation Nike Employee Grant Fund PGE Foundation Henry Family Foundation

50 Boston Tree Party

51 Civic Fruit Symbolic planting of 2 heirloom apple trees per community (civic spaces) to promote the fruits of civic engagement

52 Significance of the Apple Historical significance in Boston (revolutionary outlook) Requires two trees The Boston Tree Party takes these trees as inspiration We too are interdependent and need to work across divisions to effectively address the pressing social and environmental issues we face

53 Who diverse coalition of organizations, institutions, and communities from across the Greater Boston Area coming together in support of Civic Fruit.

54 How Each community has committed to planting and caring for a pair of heirloom apple trees. Together, these trees form a decentralized public urban orchard that symbolizes a commitment to the environmental health of our city, the vitality and interconnectedness of our communities, and the wellbeing of the next generation.

55 Who All horticultural aspects of the projects are guided by official Tree Party Pomologists John Bunker and Michael Phillips working with local gardening education organizations to offer apple tree care education for participating communities.

56 2011 Launch of City Wide Planting Campaign By 2012, 78 partners Ranging from schools to assisted living centers, synagogues to churches, and neighborhood groups to hospitals.

57 Culmination of Project The project will culminate in the fall of 2015, the year of the first full harvest, with the Boston Tree Party Convention a city wide harvest festival,

58 Volunteers Virtual Volunteers (low timecommitment) Perfect for busy students, or even those who reside outside of the Greater Boston area. Virtual volunteers are excellent e-communicators, working primarily over to assist our staff with various research projects.

59 Field Volunteers (low to moderate timecommitment) For those in the Boston area who can assist with posting fliers, attending special events, or other one-time commitments.

60 Wanna Be Volunteers Looking to get your hands dirty with some actual tree planting? Then we encourage you to :start a Delegation and to get your community invested in Civic Fruit! Alternatively, you can join an existing Delegation in your community. Check out our list of current Delegations.

61 BTP Handbook PDF Format Information about planting and caring for heirloom apple trees Ideas and suggestions for community activities, discussions, and events; Educational articles.

62 Funding In Kind Cash donations with levels of giving Selling wares

63 City Sprouts Mission Develop, implement and maintain beautiful, resource-rich school gardens in collaboration with public school communities. Integrated into the curriculum

64 Edible (aka Eat your Yard ) Landscapes Beacon Food Forest Unused tracts of land (usually utility) Designed by a Landscape Architect Forested area, shrub area, patches for CG s Edible trees, shrubs, annuals, perennials Free for the picking Is it a park? garden? forest?

65 Reclaiming Old Orchards Managing Old Orchards and Apple Trees for for Wildlife CT Department of Environmental Protection

66 Potential Partners in your Community Schools Rec Centers Churches Food Banks Home Owners Association Boys and Girls Clubs Jails Community Gardens Who is already doing something in your community where you can lend a hand or do you want to create something else

67 What is Our Role?