July through October, over 26,000 pounds of unwanted fruit was harvested by LUSH Valley, and what wasn’t of distribution quality was processed into apple juice
From Union Bay to Black Creek, 140 properties were visited, and a diverse selection of apples, pears, plums, figs, grapes, cherries and peaches were gleaned.
In spite of a host of environmental challenges, the high quality and sheer abundance of fruit this season was exceptional! A large percentage of what we harvested was large and unblemished fruit, great for distribution through our Good Food Boxes and community programs such as Comox Valley Family Services’s Healthy Families group and the Bread of Life Food Bank in Black Creek.
LUSH Valley would like to express our gratitude to the many tree stewards and volunteers who collectively dedicated over 570 hours of their time this season, as it was with their generosity and hard work that we were able to pick, transport, sort and donate all of the fruit that we did.
This was the 24th year of the Fruit Tree program. The program was created formally in 2000 to share the yield of backyard fruit trees with community members in need. In 2023, the program:
- Increases access to local food
- Decreases food waste
- Removes pest attractants
- Engages hundreds of volunteers
- Utilizes less-than-perfect fruit in the Hot Meal kitchen, at catering events and the juice press
The in-cider information? LUSH Valley Apple Juice is now available for sale!
Juice contains 100% locally-grown fruit from trees and orchards across the Comox Valley. All proceeds from juice sales are reintegrated into our food access programs, working to further nourish and empower our community. How do you like them apples?
5L boxes of pasteurized juice are $20 each. Purchase is available at the LUSH Valley warehouse while supplies last. Please visit us at 2342 Rosewall Crescent in Courtenay at one of the following times:
- Tuesdays: 10:00 – 4:00
- Wednesdays: 10:00 – 4:00
- Thursdays: 10:00 – 6:00
When you purchase a box of LUSH Valley Apple Juice, you’ll be supporting community food security and unlocking a new core memory—yes, it’s that good.
Please note that we will be closed for the holidays from December 18th to January 1st, and will resume juice sales on January 2nd, 2024.
