There’s no ingredient more important to life than the food we eat. According to the David Suzuki Foundation, the average distance our food travels is more than 5,000 kilometers from the farm to our plates. The food is often sprayed with harmful pesticides to deter pests and rodents, and preserving chemicals to keep the products looking ripe and “perfect” for grocery displays, not to mention the massive amounts of carbon emitted along the journey. In contrast, food that is grown locally requires less energy to produce, preserve and transport, making it healthier and tastier for us as consumers. And, more of our food dollars go directly to local farmers and producers.

Laura Reinsborough had an epiphany after recognizing millions of pounds of fruit falling from trees and going to waste in the city, she formed an organization to help collect it and put it to good use, while also fostering education about the local environment and healthy ways of eating.

Laura has been involved in urban agriculture for years, but she got her start harvesting fruit at the Heritage Orchards of the Spadina Museum in Toronto. She soon recognized an abundance of fruit trees in the neighborhood, and began to organize volunteers to harvest the fruit that was growing. Laura’s simple idea blossomed into an organization devoted to capturing usable fruit, sharing it, and empowering her community to learn more. From its start in 2008, Not Far From the Tree (NFFTT) has increased harvesting from 3,000 pounds to over 8,000 pounds, and the harvest keep growing. The fruit collected is given to volunteers, homeowners, and local food banks. Not Far From the Tree continues to grow and spread its branches throughout the city, hoping to help the food revolution take root across the country.

“Seeing the abundance that these fruit trees produce with very little effort has given a new level of inspiration, of hope, for just how much we can feed ourselves.” – Laura Reinsborough

The Gleaners and I is an interesting documentary that explores people in France who glean food from fields, much like Laura and her team do in the city. Though many in society used to glean regularly for food, it seems to have been fazed out in our heavily mechanized world. But, as we’re beginning to learn, it’s resurging, as people come to realize the amount of delicious, available food that exists and goes to waste if not collected.

You can also watch Laura’s own GreenHero profile video to learn more about Laura’s inspiring work and how she’s sharing her knowledge to help others take action with NFFTT and the local food movement. To learn how you can harvest food locally, change the way you purchase and eat food, and act yourself, visit our Taste Local Food campaign page. Don’t forget to leave a comment on her profile page and the Tasting Local Food campaign page!

And to find out more about Not Far From the Tree and the work they’re doing to contribute to a sustainable food supply in the city, visit their website at www.notfarfromthetree.org. Got a fruit tree in Toronto? Register it here! Not in Toronto? Here are some resources from other similar projects. You can donate to Not Far From the Tree by visiting their site here.

Here are some locations with similar initiatives:

Vancouver
Victoria
Richmond
Hamilton
Kitchener-Waterloo
Guelph
Los Angeles

Watch for NFFTT Founder Laura Reinsborough’s guest post coming soon.

How are you eating locally? What are some of the challenges and benefits you’ve experienced from changing the way you eat and think about food? Share your story here for your chance to win a prize in our contest!

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