Hidden Harvest, a hidden gem!

By Chantal Boudreau, member of the Environment Committee

Fall is just around the corner and that means harvest season is here for several fruit trees!

Over the Summer, I became a Neighbourhood Leader with Hidden Harvest (more on them below!). I’d participated in harvests with them before and enjoyed how accessible they were. There’s no experience required, all specialized equipment is provided, and there’s something everyone can help with, such as picking or sorting. I also loved the idea of sharing the fruit between the tree owner/steward, volunteers and local community partners. It’s a wonderful way to improve food sovereignty and allow people to give back to their communities.

For these reasons and more, I completed their free training online, registered as a Neighbourhood Leader in Training and started picking apples, grapes and elderberries on harvests led by experienced Neighbourhood Leaders, learning from them as I went. Everyone on the harvests was generous with their knowledge and time, making for welcoming and fun harvesting experiences. I have now completed my graduation harvest, am a Neighbourhood Leader and will be leading harvests soon! I’m looking forward to hosting more harvests, especially in Orléans, and hope to see you there!

So what is Hidden Harvest?

Hidden Harvest, now a part of EnviroCentre, has been working since 2012 to ensure more of this food gets into the hands of the community. Hidden Harvest hosts free harvests, providing the resulting fruit to community partner organizations, the tree owner and harvest volunteers. Based on their September Newsletter, this year alone Hidden Harvest volunteers picked over 5,300 lbs of food, donating more than half to local community partners, including food banks!

Why is this important?

Food insecurity is a big issue in Ottawa; Ottawa Public Health estimates approximately a quarter of all households in Ottawa experience food insecurity. Between 2018 and 2023, the average monthly food bank visits per 1,000 residents increased by 69% across the entire City, and increased by 83% in Convent Glen – Orléans Woods specifically (See Ottawa Neighbourhood Study Food Bank Dashboard). 

The City of Ottawa has over 17,000 fruit and nut trees on city property; this does not count the number of fruit and nut trees on private property. When fruit is not harvested in time, it will often fall to the ground, and end up in yard waste bags headed to the landfill. This is a problem as organic waste that ends up in the landfill generates more methane than if it had been consumed or composted (ECCC). 

By reducing food waste, initiatives like Hidden Harvest address the social, physical and environmental impacts of food insecurity and food waste.

Want to get involved? 

Sign up as a Harvest volunteer! Once you sign up, you’ll get notifications for upcoming harvests in the areas of the City you’d like, but please note that spots on harvests are filled on a first come, first served basis and they can fill up quickly! If you’re looking to help make more harvests happen, then consider becoming a neighbourhood leader too!

If you have a fruit or nut tree, consider registering it today! In addition to providing food to the community, tree owners receive a share of the harvests, and get the added bonus of having less fruits and nuts on the ground to deal with. It’s a win-win-win!

Don’t have a tree but want one? Consider signing up with the Trees in Trust or Plant Your Place. There are several great fruit and nut producing tree options available. As they say, the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, the second best time is now.