Frequently Asked Questions
Volunteers
If you’ve registered to volunteer in the past you’re still on the list! No need to re-register through our website. But, if you want to register for new wards, you have the option to register again and check off more locations!
Even during a normal year we cannot guarantee when you’ll get an invite. This year so far we have 18 active Neighborhood Leaders that volunteer their time to plan harvest events. Each leader reviews the list of potential trees and reaches out to homeowners to schedule a pick when the fruit is ready. We have more than 500 trees registered, however, we are still waiting to hear back from most tree owners as to whether they are willing to follow our COVID-19 guidelines.
With more time spent on communications and sanitizing gear and some people unable to participate due to being part of an anti-risk group, we’ll likely have fewer events than last year. To give you an idea, last year we harvested nearly 300 trees through 85 events, rescuing more than 9,000 pounds of fruit. We’ll all be doing our very best to rescue all the fruit we can this year and contribute meaningfully to our food system.
Tree Owners
If you’ve registered your tree in the past, you’re still on our list! No need to re-register through our website. When your fruit is about 2 weeks away from being ripe, you can help us out by completing this form: Almost Ready to Harvest. It’s particularly good to get a nudge through this form if your tree is having a really great fruit year!
We cannot guarantee that we will be able to harvest your tree – but you are on the list. It is up to each Neighbourhood Leader to review the list of potential trees, register as the designated leader for available trees, and then to make the best use of the time they have. We have more than 500 trees registered, and last year we harvested nearly 300 trees through 85 events, rescuing more than 9,000 pounds of fruit.
Yes, absolutely, always! We will never show up unannounced! If a Neighbourhood Leader is able to harvest your tree, they will reach out and arrange a mutually convenient time for the event to occur.
Unfortunately we do not have the capacity to communicate with you in advance if we will not be able to harvest your tree. Our one part-time employee manages all COVID-19 logistics, communications, reporting, partnership management, training new leaders, as well as support for Neighbourhood Leaders. If you have a particular question, you can reach out to info@hiddenharvest.ca and we will do our best to respond in a timely fashion.
Probably not. We love the potential of this local, healthy protein, but right now we do not have the infrastructure or capacity to hull, clean, dry, and crack the nuts. Sadly, neither do food agencies, and our Neighbourhood Leaders max out their nut storage space rather quickly. Every year we do a few walnut harvests as educational opportunities for our volunteers. It is still helpful to register your tree, as we learn more about just how much is out there and under-utilized, and some Neighbourhood Leaders will be inspired to coordinate a harvest effort. We dream of the day that a few engineers are inspired to take up the reins of establishing a community hulling and cracking operation! If you’re keen on running nut hulling or cracking workshops, or coordinating volunteer efforts, please do let us know.
More questions? Contact Us