500 Orchards Creates Sustainable Impact
Contributed by Erica Kratofil, MSW, Co-Executive Director of The Giving Grove National Network
If you enjoy this blog, consider subscribing to The Serving, Giving Grove’s quarterly newsletter.
The Giving Grove national network is celebrating an exciting milestone this season. With 71 new orchards installed this spring, the network now has more than 500 orchards taking root across the United States!
Together, these community-led and community-driven sites will:
Produce 87 million servings of food
Sequester 14,500 tons of carbon
Remove 97,500 pounds of air pollution
Intercept 121 million gallons of stormwater
Community orchards are a sustainable solution for nourishing people and the planet. The return on investment is dramatic: while it costs about $50 to install a fruit or nut tree at a Giving Grove site, that tree can provide $10,000 worth of organically-grown food for its neighborhood – while sequestering 2 tons of carbon and removing 14 pounds of pollution from the air. Little orchards truly make a big impact!
This impact is possible because of the community that surrounds each orchard. At the center of that community are the stewards. These dedicated volunteers care for the trees year-round, in every kind of weather, to ensure a bountiful harvest for their neighborhood. Their typical maintenance calendar includes watering, weeding, mulching, pruning and carefully monitoring the trees for signs of pests or diseases. Stewards are also champions of community engagement, teaching surrounding neighbors and curious passersby about their orchard through signage, conversations, and events. Giving Grove’s network of affiliate partners and program managers come alongside the stewards, offering training, tools and technical assistance to equip the stewardship teams.
Just as orchards thrive with ongoing support from stewards and program managers, so too does the network thrive with ongoing support from the community. As we celebrate the 500th Giving Grove orchard, we invite you to become part of this community by joining The Seedling. Together, Seedling members make a big impact through their monthly investment in urban orchards.
In gratitude for Seedling members, our friends at OXO are offering a gift for everyone who joins The Seedling this summer. Click here to learn more.
Support from Seedling members helps our network deepen its roots across the U.S., making community orchards available in even more urban neighborhoods. We are deeply grateful for all who have joined us in this mission and look forward to a bountiful harvest season, thanks to your generosity.