FIFABQ Thoughts about Community Gardens

Nope! You do not need to be home for a harvest to happen. We just ask that your yard is accessible and we know the best way to access your trees! This is especially true if you live in a HOA type of neighborhood. Please ensure to communicate the expectations for your tree, such as fully clearing them or leaving produce on the tree.

Yes! We encourage homeowners to keep some of their produce to enjoy the fruits of their labor. Your Lead Harvester will chat with you before the harvest begins to clarify expectations.

We understand that this can be frustrating. But, there are several options if we are booked. ➡️ You can book a You-Pick Home Harvest [bit.ly/YouPickHarvest]. You pick your abundance and FIFABQ comes to pick-up the harvest and distribute it! ➡️ Invite your neighbors, friends, and family over to pick as a fun social event. ➡️ Harvest your own bounty and donate it to a local organization. foodpantries.org/st/new_mexico What is important is that you are sharing with our commUnity and avoiding food waste.

That's so kind of you to ask! You do not need to provide anything for the harvest. We have pickers, aprons, and crates. However, if you have a rather large or high tree, please let us know when booking your harvest so we can be prepared with any extra equipment.

When you book a harvest, you will receive a confirmation email and a liability form for us to enter your property. This for MUST be completed before we can harvest your property. A few days before your harvest you will receive a reminder email. We ask that you have your yard prepared before we arrive so that it is free of animal waste and safe for our crew to traverse.

Home grown produce can look very different than what you find in the supermarket. Blemishes, bruises, hail damage, or maybe even a worm but it is still edible. Your Lead Harvester will chat with you when they find any "imperfect" fruit.

Mother Nature doesn't care about our schedule, so we do our best to accommodate hers as this allows for the highest quality produce. We will not harvest unripe fruit unless it is a hazard to the tree's health or is very close to ripeness. If the fruit is not ripe at your scheduled harvest, we will encourage homeowners to keep taste testing the fruit and keep in touch. FIFABQ sets aside times for these reschedules to be booked. There is so much more to harvesting than just shucking some fruit and calling it a day. Part of our job as a Lead Harvester is to be prepared for this! We will keep in contact with you and check in regarding the status of your tree. It’s more than gleaning. It’s commUnity care.

We often work on the calendar of Mother Nature and not the calendar app. ​ Don’t worry. We understand the difficulty of determining the exact perfect time to donate a harvest. It’s never a waste of time to come to meet a tree and visit with a resident of the home, even if that means we’ll need to reschedule. In nearly all circumstances, your tree is now entered into our Fruit Doula Rotation. We are going to keep in touch with the tree steward and work together as a Team to find the right day to send in volunteers (sometimes it might just be the one Lead Harvester) to harvest your tree!