Harvesting the Urban Orchard DIVRS Harvesting the Urban Orchard | страница 8

HARVESTING THE URBAN ORCHARD
DIVRS
This booklet has been jointly compiled by
the Darebin Information Volunteer Resource
Service (DIVRS) and the Darebin Fruit Squad
(DFS).The advice we provide in this guide
comes from our experience in creating more
sustainable community by re-localising food
distribution and production in the City of
Darebin in Victoria.
The Darebin Information Volunteer Resource Service (DIVRS) has
developed and is operating a model of identification (auditing and
mapping) to harvest and care for the urban orchard and to re-
distribute fresh food directly to food-insecure populations. This
innovation has the potential to be transformative as it will connect and
engage multiple sectors of the community in building a sustainable
food system in an urban region. This program can be replicated at
varying stages. Through supporting the care and maintenance of the
existing urban orchard, a program like this can foster community
capacity building through volunteer participation and education, and
give participants the opportunity to create and sell products from
the urban orchard. An overriding goal is to optimise both human and
ecosystem health. We aim to demonstrate sustainable and active
citizen-participation solutions to reduce food waste, food miles, food
insecurity, and loss of urban canopy.
The Darebin Fruit Squad (DFS) community fruit-harvesting project has
evolved in partnership with DIVRS, along with support funding from
Darebin City Council. Since its establishment in 2013, its volunteers
have collected over six tonnes of fruit from local backyard fruit trees
in Darebin and redistributed the fruit to agencies, including DIVRS,
who assist food-insecure people. The work of the DFS has two main
components: harvesting and collecting fruit from tree owners who
contact the Fruit Squad offering their surplus fruit, and maintaining fruit
trees for people in Darebin who identify as needing assistance, in return
for their surplus fruit.
This guide is intended to provide practical information, tools and tips
that you can use in establishing your own fruit-harvesting project.
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Introduction