Suncoast Fruit Rescue

Transition Sarasota has rescued a bison worth of excess mangoes this summer. An unusual statement for sure, but think of a huge bison standing in the landfill and that gives you an idea of the number of pounds of backyard mangoes that our volunteers have rescued this summer - a total of 2,175 pounds!

Rescuing backyard fruit is a smart way to provide healthy, local food to people in our community that are facing food insecurity. It also diverts the fruit from the landfill. When organic waste is placed in landfill sites, it decomposes anaerobically, which releases the greenhouse gas methane. Methane is an environmental pollutant and more than 25 times as potent as carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere and contributing to climate change. As more uneaten food is thrown out, landfills become overwhelmed with the volume. More and more land is then needed to accommodate the increasing amount of landfill waste. Yikes!

So how does this work? Generous backyard fruit tree owners register their tree with us so that excess fruit can be recovered. All fruit is welcome! Sometimes the owner harvests the fruit, but we can also coordinate a date to have our volunteers harvest. Then we take it to a food pantry in need of produce. Either way, the fresh fruit gets on a plate of someone who needs it and stays out of the landfill. Now that sounds good!

And the exciting benefits are - It saves the homeowner from dealing with messy falling fruit that attracts critters, food waste is minimized, and you get a warm feeling in your heart from helping others. Sigh, smile…this could be you.

If you live in Sarasota or Bradenton, see how to register your fruit tree here: https://www.transitionsrq.org/fruitrescue

Joyce Norris, Executive Director - Transition Sarasota