Fruit Barons start picking with big plum harvest

The Fruit Barons officially launched fruit harvesting on Saturday by picking Greengage and Italian plums from nine trees in west Carson City. Nine volunteers picked more than 260 pounds of plums which were donated to the organizations in Carson City which provide meals.

The Fruit Barons are volunteers who pick fruit when permission is granted by tree owners. Some of the trees are in public street right-of-ways. Last season, the Fruit Barons harvested more than 40 apple trees and donated apples, plums and pears to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Western Nevada, Friends in Service Helping, Ron Wood Family Resource Center, Carson City Senior Center, Food for Thought, Advocates to End Domestic Violence, and Do Drop Inn.

"There are not as many trees bearing fruit this year. We hope people who do have plums, apples, pears, grapes, walnuts, raspberries or blackberries will call to let us pick the fruit so we can feed people who appreciate locally grown fruit," said Gianna Shirk, volunteer coordinator for the group.

Those who would like to donate fruit should call Shirk at (775) 220-6330 or Tom Henderson at 224-3827. Volunteers who would like to pick fruit are also invited to call. Shirk has created a website which highlights upcoming picking events and photos from recent events.

In connection with the fall apple harvest, Healthy Trees will host an apple cider making event at 9:30 a.m. Nov. 5 at Healthy Trees, 2578 South Curry St. #5. Those who have locally-grown apples to bring and those with a cider press are particularly needed for this event.

Participants who just want some cider should bring knives to cut fruit, comfortable chairs, five-gallon buckets, tables for fruit processing and containers for storing the cider. The Fruit Barons will help with picking apples to ensure a supply for cider making.

The Fruit Barons are sponsored by Healthy Trees, a team of professional arborists providing tree care in Carson City, as well as Carson, Washoe, Pleasant and Dayton valleys, and at Lake Tahoe.