A group of volunteer fruit pickers has harvested over 7,500 pounds of produce this year in and around Brantford, saving food that would otherwise be wasted and getting fruit and vegetables into the hands of people that can use it.
Branching Out Brantford is a volunteer-run community organization which aims to combat food insecurity. Donors who have excess fruit or vegetables are able to join a fruit tree registry, and the small but mighty team of Branching Out Brantford will come to harvest. They share the bounty between the donor, pickers, and community.
“We definitely see the impact, and to see the food being used and go to the hands of people that use it… it’s just beautiful,” said Keith Beveridge, co-founder of Branching Out Brantford.
The idea for Branching Out Brantford first stemmed from a conversation between Beveridge and several others who were all volunteering with their local neighbourhood association. Beveridge had heard about a fruit tree registry he’d heard about in Hamilton, and loved the idea of it.
“We talked about it and then, in the spring of 2021, we put the word out for people to register their tree,” Beveridge said.
They started small the first year, picking cherries and apples, harvesting between 100 to 120 lbs of produce.
The next year, their operation got a lot bigger. They had already harvested over 1,000 lbs of apples and more when Beveridge’s nephew connected Branching Out Brantford with a squash farm near Norwich. They harvested over 7,000 lbs of food in 2022 and nearly 7,500 lbs of food in 2023 (the exact breakdown for 2023 was as follows: 1,696 lbs apples, 568 lbs pears, 128 lbs cherries, 1700 lbs corn, 3300 lbs squash, 40 lbs tomatoes, 40 lbs peppers).
In 2024, Branching Out Brantford harvested corn, apples, cherries, pears, butternut squash, peppers, and more. Last year’s farm in Norwich not only donated butternut squash again, but even planted a little extra corn for them in the summer. Though they have yet to crunch the numbers for 2024, Beveridge said, “we’re on track to beat last year’s total, that’s for sure.”
That included three fall trips to a second local farm for another “squash-quest.” From this farm, the group harvested over 4,000 lbs of squash, which has been shared with the community through local charities including Gift of the Heart Brantford, the Seniors Resource Centre, BL’s Little Free Pantry, and more.
The group is driven by a purpose of reducing food waste and providing greater food security.
“Everybody could use a little extra help,” Beveridge said. “There’s a lot of people struggling out there.”
With increasing grocery prices, food insecurity is soaring across Canada. The Giving Report 2024, published by Canada helps, found that “service use is at an all-time high, with one in five Canadians turning to charities to meet basic needs and the majority of charities saying they can’t keep us with demand.” Meanwhile, the number of Canadians making charitable donations has declined for the eleventh year in a row, due to a combination of issues including financial strain.
That’s reflected in Brantford, with the Brantford Food Bank currently supporting close to 1,300 households each month and demand remaining extremely high for services.
Branching Out Brantford tries to alleviate some of that demand, by getting food from these farms into the hands of the people that need it.
“Whether it’s seniors on a fixed income or people who are unhoused, you know, there’s just a wide array of people that can use a little extra support and a little extra help,” Beveridge said. “It’s nice to be able to get [them] fresh, local produce and beautiful food.”
They communicate with volunteers about picking days through a Facebook messenger group, which currently has 35 people. Some volunteers come out regularly, while others participate once in a while.
There are perks to giving your time to pick fruit, as well. “Volunteers usually walk away with some food too,” Beveridge said. “They get to share with the community and save the food from going to waste, and they get to take some home and make applesauce or make some jam… with food they picked themselves.”
Ruby Streicher, a volunteer with Branching Out Brantford, describes her experience with them as “really fun.”
She’s passionate about local food and first met Beveridge at a community garden, later joining Branching Out Brantford as a regular volunteer.
“They’re doing so much good for the community,” Streicher said. “Finding ways to take food and sharing it amongst the community is incredible.”
Without them, Streicher said, “there’d be a lot less squash and apples and things,” in the community.
“Fresh produce is incredibly important, it’s incredibly nutritious,” Streicher said.
“When food insecurity is such a huge risk or a huge factor in so many people’s lives, fresh produce is the one thing that we can all do to help,” Streicher said, whether that’s a mini garden on your patio or gaining access to produce another way, like through Branching Out Brantford.
