Photo Courtesy NOFTP

There are few things sadder than a garden full of spoiled satsumas, and the people behind the NOLA Fruit Tree Project are doing everything in their power to put an end to squandered citrus.

The project collects fruit from privately owned land that would otherwise go to waste, and brings it to the Second Harvest Food Bank. So far, they’ve harvested more than 14,000 pounds of fruit and fed hundreds of hungry New Orleanians. The only thing they need now is a van, and NOFTP has launched a kickstarter to raise funds for the project.  

NOFTP branched out of the Hollygrove Market & Farm in January, 2011, and since its inception has grown into an autonomous operation. NOFTP’s members collect fruit from participating tree owners and donate it to organizations that feed New Orleans’ hungry population. 

New Orleans holds the number one spot for the country’s worst food deserts, according to a 2011 survey. The city has only one grocery store per every 16,000 residents, offering many citizens limited or no access to fresh, healthy foods. Anyone with excess fruit to donate can register a tree or find more information at the group’s site. All fruits are welcome, from persimmons to peaches. 

Program Manager Megan Nuismer earned her Master's in Public Health from Tulane before moving to Portland, Oregon, where she came up with the idea to put New Orleans’ picked-over produce to use.

“They used to harvest a fruit tree outside of my house,” explains Nuismer. “I moved back here and I saw a satsuma tree loaded with free fruit, and it was all going to go to waste.” 

Since the project began, people all over the city have opened up their yards to volunteers. Nuismer says the only thing NOFTP needs now is a van.  

“Our only conflict is that we were working with another organization and we were sharing a van—limited to doing two or three harvests a week,” said Nuismer. “If we had a van, we could harvest five or six days a week.” 

The group has worked for the past 18 months throughout the metro. They’ve harvested in Mid-City, the Riverbend, the Bywater, as well as in Kenner and even Plaquemines Parish. 

Nuismer says NOFTP serves as an example of the power of grassroots organization.

“I think it shows what access can really do,” she says. “All of this food is available—it’s in people’s backyards. All it takes is a network, a link between a homeowner and an organization. We’ve made a system where all of those things can kind of take advantage of each other.” 

Nuismer says there’s no reason for fruit tree owners to hesitate.

“We’ll harvest almost anything. As long as the tree is accessible to our volunteers," she said.

The public health scholar says that NOFTP is happy to help any local clinics that want to include fruit in their waiting rooms.

“We provide fruit for Tulane Community Health Clinic’s waiting room. We’re looking to expand that to organizations that are interested in having fruit in a waiting room, or for any consumers they’re serving,” she says. 

The group’s kickstarter is open for donations until October 25, meaning interested parties have 20 days to pledge another $6822 to get the group up to their $8000 goal. The minimum pledge is only $1, so donate what you can, tell your friends, and help feed New Orleans .