Falling Fruit 2020

Falling Fruit 2020

Another wonderful year for Falling Fruit Ireland! We were awarded the Irish Food Writers Guild Community Food Award for 2020; we saved vast amounts of apples – some of which went to produce 1023 bottles and 60 5L cartons of juice, the rest went to food charities in Dublin and around the country. Falling Fruit New Zealand was established based on our model – https://www.fallingfruit.nz/history/

Irish Food Writers Guild Award – March 4, 2020

Absolutely thrilled and honoured to win the Community Food Award at #IFWGFoodAwards 2020! This award is dedicated to the wonderful volunteers, the generous donors and the charities that have made Falling Fruit a success. 

Irish TimesIrish Food Writers’ Guild name their food heroes for 2020 at Dublin awards ceremony.

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August 13

Falling Fruit 2020 season of fruit harvesting for charities is about to begin. This is our sixth year in operation and huge thanks is due to the wonderful volunteers and donors who have kept it going and to the charities who distribute the fruit to people in need. 

We already have offers of fruit in Dublin, Offaly, Meath and Westmeath. We need volunteers and, very importantly, we need more charities for the fruit – charities open at weekends and evenings especially as most charities are only open during office hours. 

Due to the outdoor nature of fruit picking and naturally occurring physical distance between people during any gleaning task, there is low risk when it comes to Covid-19. We will take all necessary precautions at all times.

Please contact bernie@fallingfruit.ie if you can help in any way.

Please share! Many Thanks!

 

August 30

Week 1 of Falling Fruit – Carlow apples went to a local charity, thanks to Jennifer. Sat. Aug. 29 our first pick in Dublin – thanks to donor Brenda in Glenageary who donated fruit from her three trees. A good morning of team picking in pleasant weather with Ilona, Pawel and Bernie. Thanks to Roger for helping with storage. The apples will go to a charity Co. Meath.

September 1

A wonderful day picking pears and apples in Ranelagh! Huge thanks to the O’Donovan family and volunteers Patricia, Deirdre and Pawel. Fruit delivered to FoodCloud by Patricia and Deirdre – some to be distributed to charities and some to be juiced. Gratitude to all involved.

September 3

Feeling full of gratitude today – a great Falling Fruit day! It was a tough task to organise a pick in Tullamore but we did it! Ilona generously offered to drive from Dublin to Tullamore and bring three of us. Our donors, Diane and Brendan Lawlor kindly donated fruit from eight trees! Huge thanks to the harvesters – Ilona, Rita and Pawel and I had to call on two very dear friends who live locally to help – Anne and Mick. 

Barry from Refill Ireland saved the day by taking care of the delivery to FoodCloud in Tallaght. He so generously gave of his time, van and energy to help. Twenty-five crates of apples were delivered to FoodCloud! 

I also want to thank everyone who shared my post to help me get volunteers for this pick – much appreciated!

 

September 4

Great abundance day yesterday for Falling Fruit – warm thanks to British Embassy Dublin for their fabulous fruit donation, glad to be back again this year. Special thanks to Sarah for organising it and staff members who helped. The amazing volunteers, Deirdre, Geraldine and Pawel did trojan work picking huge quantities of fruit for a few hours. Most special appreciation for Deirdre who delivered the huge load to FoodCloud. Geraldine also helped with delivery of windfalls which will go to feed animals. Endless gratitude for the generosity and goodness of all concerned!

 

September 5

Saturday brought another fresh fruit harvest – thanks to the Brophy family in Rathfarnham. Wonderful cooking apples were picked by Patricia and Pawel and will be delivered to FoodCloud by Patricia. Deeply grateful to all involved!


September 7

Another successful food sharing event last week in Walkinstown: Gabrielle donated her surplus fruit to Gwen on Thursday. Gwen will use her creative cooking skills to put the fruit to good use for charity. Great local collaboration!

September 5

Alison in Wexford donated fruit from her six trees. A wonderful group in Enniscorthy, Raheen FRC, were able to take on the task – volunteers picked the fruit and transported it back to their HQ where it will be used in many ways for charity. Great appreciation and gratitude to Alison and all involved!

 

September 9

This afternoon a lovely fruit pick in Dublin 9 – thanks to Helen and Paddy King! Volunteers Clémence, Bernie and Pawel picked the wonderful cooking apples, pears and damsons. Huge thanks to Catherine and Paul Flynn who transported the fruit to Marino. It will be delivered to KARE in Raheny tomorrow – thanks to Theresa Burton. Huge gratitude to all concerned!

September 10

Today our Dunleer Donor – Ailis Corrigan – donated delicious fruit from ten trees! We are hugely grateful! Great effort and work was put in by Roger Yates and Declan Bowens who not only helped pick the fruit but transported it as well. We were also greatly helped by a local volunteer Caroline. Fruit delivered to FoodCloud this afternoon. Much gratitude and appreciation to all! 

 

September 11

Mary and Declan in Rathgar and Margaret in Dundrum donated a good crop of apples today. Many thanks to volunteers Deirdre, Richard and Pawel and especially Deirdre who delivered 6 crates to FoodCloud.

 

September 16

Great afternoon in a beautiful garden picking apple for charity – thanks to donors Phyl and Tom. Three of us spent 2 hours picking 8 bags. Great appreciation for volunteers Emer and Pawel. Delivery to KARE tomorrow thanks to Emer.

 

September 21

A beautiful autumnal day for our apple pick in Raheny. Huge thanks to Sinead Creane and Mark who donated fruit from five trees. Our fantastic friends Theresa Burton, Roger Yates and Pawel Krecinski did a great job picking the fruit which was then delivered to FoodCloud by Roger and windfalls to ChildVision by Theresa. Many thanks to all!

 

23 September

Wednesday fruit pick – Glenageary, thanks to Olga for the donation of cooking apples. Gwen and Ken from Assassination Custard will use their culinary skills to make exciting foodstuffs to support charities. Many thanks to Catherine, Gwen and Ken picking!

25 September

Friday fruit donations – Alan in Sandyford and William in Clontarf donated their surplus fruit to charity – many thanks. Huge thanks to Patricia who did all the work in Sandyford and delivered the apples.

September 26

Nice piece about Falling Fruit in the Irish Times today thanks to Sylvia Thompson!

September 30 

These lovely apples, donated by Marybeth in Dalkey and Grainne in Booterstown went to Crosscare Community Cafe in Dun Laoghaire. Many thanks to Sandra and Deirdre who took care of the delivery

October 1

Sunny morning for fruit pick on Tonlegee Road thanks to John and Miriam Fahey. Great work by Catherine and Pat who also took care of delivery to KARE and windfalls and small apples to St. Anne’s City Farm. A crate also goes to Dorset After-School Club thanks to Catherine Flynn!

October 2

Another sunny morning picking fruit – 82 Kg ! Donated by Anne and Barry in Phibsborough, and picked by Catherine, Paweł and Bernie . The fruit will go for private use in return for a generous donation to a charity. Many thanks to all!

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October 6

Grapes on offer in Blarney, Cork for anyone who can put them to good use. Described as ‘a bit tart and with pips’. Not picked yet but ripe and will be picked soon – 2 buckets approx. PM for details!


October 10

Falling Fruit would like to share surplus apples – eating and cooking apples – from an abundant autumn harvest around Dublin and countrywide: Locations include The Ward in North Co. Dublin, Churchtown, Bray, Monkstown, Leixlip, Laytown, Carlow, Monaghan town. If you would like apples for a charity or personal use contact bernie@fallingfruit.ie.

October 11

Positive Falling Fruit stories again last week. 

Delighted to connect Patricia Gardiner in Sligo, who offered apples from her two trees, with Natascha Telford who collects surplus fruit to make jams, etc. for the homeless hostels. 

Niamh McPharland gave a very generous donation of apples – picked and delivered from Co. Louth. With the help of Katarina Kmecova these apples were delivered to MLPR Charity in Co. Kildare. 

Karen in North Co. Dublin offered generous amounts of apples – these are being put to good use. 

A generous cash donation was made to a charity in return for Falling Fruit apples – thanks to James Flynn. Huge thanks to all involved!

12 October

Monday magic! Three crates of apples, donated anonymously, were delivered to KARE in Raheny – huge thanks to our donor who also picked the fruit, and to Pat who took care of delivery. 

A beautiful morning and a fabulous crop of apples donated by Michele Doran in Sandymount – huge thanks. The picking was done by Ela, Gwen and Pawel. Delivery to Crosscare Community Café in Dun Laoghaire and to Dundrum Foodbank was taken care of by Gwen and Ela. I am very grateful to all involved!

October 13

Fruitful Tuesday! Huge donation of apples in Churchtown, thanks to Yuhuali, 60 Kg approx. Apples picked by Marta, Matt and Pawel went to Crosscare Foodbank in Tallaght and to Shankill Day Centre. Two and a half hours picking in good weather – many thanks to all, especially the hardworking pickers!

 

October 14

Another great picking event in a lovely garden with delicious apples – thanks to Alan in Clontarf for the donation. 30 kg approx. Many thanks to volunteers Justyna, Pat and Pawel. Fruit goes to Liberty Soup Run!

October 16

Charities benefited from another fruit pick this week – many thanks to Nuala in Ballinteer. Our wonderful volunteers, Catherine and Patricia, picked in the rain and delivered to Crosscare Community Cafe in Dun Laoghaire and for Camphill Community Day Service.

October 17

Cooking apples in Skerries – if you know of a deserving cause or can put them to good use, PM please!

October 21

Final fruit pick for this year probably! Wonderful morning thanks to David and Bredagh at UCD. Apples delivered to 4 charities by Catherine, Sandra, Marta & Patricia. Huge thanks to Catherine, Patricia, Pawel, Sandra, Marta and Matt for picking!

November 12

Cooking apples on offer in North Co. Dublin – North Road. Lots available – for charities or personal use. PM if interested!

November 17

Apple juice from our gleaned apples this year is included in Irish Food Heroes Hampers @FoodSpaceIrl Huge thanks to our wonderful volunteers who picked the fruit and to FoodCloud who made Cloudy Apple Juice from the abundant apple harvest!

 

November 2020

Special Tribute

In August this year one of your much loved volunteers, Angela O’Doherty, sadly passed away. She participated in many fruit picks around Dublin since 2015 and she was very generous with her time and energy. She was very supportive and helped in many ways. I admired her greatly for her energy, care for others and great intellect. Ar dheis Dé go Raibh a hAnam.

Bernie