Community Supported Orchard Project

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Yes, we can-- enjoy a bountiful harvest all year! Join us to share in the local harvest and preserve fresh local fruit with us while supporting farmers. A Community Supported Orchard share means you are supporting farmers who get a guaranteed market and a fair rate.  It means you get access to a wide variety of local fruit all year long.

How does it work?
Every two weeks (8 sessions), our producers will bring your share of their harvest to the community cannery.  Members will get together to preserve the fruit, and take home their share — 5 - 10 pounds of fruit per session, or 8-16 250 ml jars. Shareholders get the fruit, recipe ingredients, equipment access, and expert assistance. You supply your labour, jars, your appetite and a total fee of $200. Each cannery session is from 1- 3 hours (depending on the recipes, the process used, and other factors).  The fruit is delivered to the cannery Monday and processed on Tuesday.

The amounts and fruits will vary depending on the harvest, so your larder will reflect the climate. 2010 looks like a great year for fruit so there should be good quantities of most things. Crops include plums, nectarines, peaches, cherries, pears, apples, prunes, grapes, tomatoes and possibly apricots, red onions, okra and jalapeno peppers. Shares are limited in 2010 so don’t delay!

How do I sign up?
Just fill out the following form and bring your cheque ($200 for members, $205 for non-members) to the first session on July 27th, 2010 at the Parkdale Neighbourhood Church (201 Cowan Avenue, just South of Queen between Lansdowne and Dufferin).

Alternatively, you may bring your cheque to the Sorauren Market or mail your payment  to: West End Food Co-op, 32 Ridley Gardens, Toronto, ON, M6R 2T8

Shares are first come, first serve and only 10 shares will be sold under our 2010 pilot project.

The 8 sessions begin at 4pm and are scheduled for these dates: July 27th,  August 10th and 24th,  September 7th & 21st, October 5th and 19th, and November 2nd.