(2012 photo courtesy City Fruit)
You’ve probably heard that the City Council gave its final approval to the next city budget plan this week. Attention tends to be drawn by the biggest issues – but some of its relatively small points are notable, too. Tonight, we hear from one of the many nonprofits that will benefit from some part of the budget, City Fruit, which works in West Seattle and elsewhere to keep backyard fruit from going to waste if its owners don’t want/don’t need/can’t harvest it:

City Fruit is grateful to the Seattle City Council for including $68,000 in the 2015 City budget for the organization’s gleaning programs. City Fruit recognizes Councilmember Sally Clark for her leadership on this issue. The funding will support City Fruit’s harvesting efforts on both public and private property.

In addition, City Fruit thanks Councilmembers Jean Godden, Bruce Harrell, and Tom Rasmussen for their sponsorship of the budget package.

Hazel Singer, vice president of the City Fruit board of directors, thanked the Council, saying, “Funding from the City is critical to our harvest. With this support, we will be able to continue serving five neighborhoods in Seattle and add an additional area, Northeast Seattle, to our territory.”

With the City’s support in 2014, City Fruit harvested nearly 28,000 pounds of fruit, a record for the organization. Nearly all fruit was donated into Seattle’s emergency food system, including food banks and meal programs. In addition, the organization hosted over 50 work parties in support of public orchards and stewarded nearly 400 trees on public land.

As explained on the City Fruit website, the nonprofit pays for harvesting help rather than relying on volunteers, and that’s part of the cost it has to cover. If you want to donate harvestable fruit in the future, here’s how.