Food banks across the London Borough of Barnet are being supplied with surplus apples and pears which are being picked by the volunteer group Barnet Community Harvesters.
Fruit is ripening earlier than usual because of this summer’s heatwave and drought and some fruits are smaller in size but there is a plentiful crop.
Trays of apples and pears are being delivered to the Barnet Food Bank hub in East Barnet ready for distribution across the borough – and already after a dozen fruit picking expeditions over 400 kilogrammes have been collected.
Daniella Levene, who established Community Harvesters in 2020 to pick unwanted fruit and vegetables, is delighted with the response from householders who are again letting them pick fruit that would otherwise go to waste.
“This does seem to be a bumper year despite the stress on the trees due to the extreme weather.”
A fruit picking visit to a house in Chandos Avenue is one of Daniella’s favourite sorties because a massive Bramley apple tree almost fills the garden.
It was again heavily laden, and the volunteers filled four trays, with 72 kilos of Bramley apples. (From left to right Sue Goodwin, Wendy Alcock and Karen Benson).
Daniella marvelled at the size of the apples one of which weighed 410 grammes. Later, an even bigger apple was picked, which weighed in at exactly 500 grammes.
Householder Karen Benson said that in the past she used to freeze vast quantities of stewed apple, to keep the family going through the winter, but is now so pleased the surplus apples are going to food banks.
Her grandson Raphael and daughter Jessica joined volunteer Wendy Alcock in picking fruit off the lower branches.
“We’ve lived in the house for over 30 years, and we think the tree is 50 years old – but it never seems to fail.
“The apples do cook beautifully, and I hope needy families will enjoy them.”
Wendy Alcock, who founded another local self-help group, Incredible Edible Barnet, hopes that some of the surplus fruit will be available during Great Green Week when she is organising an apple pressing day in the garden of St John’s United Reform Church in Mowbray Road, New Barnet, on Saturday 1 October (between 10 am and 12 noon).
Daniella said that were another 20 fruit trees waiting to be picked and she was busy arranging volunteer parties.
Produce collected this year has also included damsons and grapes. Coxes and other desert apples and pears are among the fruit waiting to be picked.
“Fruit trees are very resilient because they have deep roots but with climate warming perhaps, we will have to start growing different varieties that can cope with hotter and drier summers.”
To contact Daniella to notify locations with surplus fruit or to volunteer, email:
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
