Want not, waste not
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Being a human to a husky comes with obligations, one of which is multiple daily walks. That means I cover a lot of ground in the Wildwood area. Our walks are varied, but at least once a day we walk through Wildwood Park proper. This summer, I noticed something I see every year, but seemed worse than previously. The sheer number of apple trees whose fruit was allowed to fall to the ground and decay.
What a waste, I thought. Apple pies that weren’t baked. Jams, jellies and sauces that weren’t canned. Hungry people going unfed.
I am an apple thief. When you are not looking, I will snatch a few apples off your tree, feeling an appropriate amount of guilt. I have never resorted to grand theft apple, but I have asked neighbours if I could harvest their unwanted apples. No one has ever said no. They seem to think I am doing them a favour.
Photo by Dana Mohr
Community correspondent Dana Mohr sees plenty of apples going to waste on her daily walks around Wildwood.
One day, I passed multiple trees laden with ripe, perfect apples, just begging to be picked. Soon after, I saw them on the ground, rotting.
I had to wonder why. Maybe the owners weren’t home at the peak of their ripeness? They didn’t like apples, didn’t bake or preserve? They left them for the wildlife? They couldn’t physically pick the apples themselves? All valid reasons to not use them, but why not share them?
One in six households in Winnipeg experience food insecurity. Since the pandemic, food bank usage has skyrocketed. Shocking food prices are forcing more people to make difficult choices.
The good news is that many organizations will happily accept donations of apples, and there are people who will come out and pick them for you.
Harvest Manitoba will include them in food hampers. Fruit Share Manitoba, a volunteer led organization, connects people with excess backyard apples to people who can use them. You can be a volunteer picker for those who can’t.
If you like cider, Dead Horse Cider Co. will take your apples. You can trade them for cash or bottles of fresh juice.
And there are more options.
Each organization has its own processes and criteria (always worm-free) so it’s best to enquire directly to ensure your apples are properly harvested and accepted.
If you did not use last year’s apples, why not mull over these ideas? Perhaps next year’s apples will enjoy a fate different than this year’s.