Frequently Asked Questions

Neighborhood Fruit is a service that helps people find and share the fruits, nuts and vegetables growing within their communities. The site features interactive maps of backyard bounty and abundance growing on public land.

Search no more - Neighborhood Fruit is your one-stop-shop for your urban harvest needs!

• Share the fruit from your yard.
• Add a tree on public land to the map.
• Find abundance in your neighborhood.
• Learn more about unusual fruit.
• Explore on the go with Find Fruit, the iPhone app companion to the site!

Neighborhood Fruit was created to make use of the abundant fruit growing in our urban neighborhoods. Currently, the bulk of fruit grown in back yards in our cities goes to waste, while the fruit we consume is grown in water-intensive orchards far from our homes.

We envision a different future, where the bulk of backyard fruit is utilized and shared between neighbors. We envision a future where the food we eat is truly fresh, seasonal and local, our diets replete with home-made goodies.

Yes, registration is free. Registering enables you to be able to browse the maps of fruit on public land, offerings from backyard trees, and join the community.

We love Canada, and the UK, and Russia, but Neighborhood Fruit currently operates only in the US. Every country has different laws about fruit sharing, which requires legal knowledge we don't have resources for at the moment. But we are growing fast - we may expand to a country near you in the future, so please come back soon!

Backyard fruit grows on private property and is offered to Neighborhood Fruit users by people who have enough to share. Trees on public land are accessible by anyone, but there is no guarantee that a particular tree has fruit.

Sharing your bounty on Neighborhood Fruit is a two step process. First, you Register My Tree, filling out fruit type, seasonality and location information. Second, you Share My Fruit, deciding how you want to be contacted and any additional information. Once you submit, your shared fruit is visible on the map, although location shown is an approximation for your protection. If you Register My Tree before the fruit is in season, you will receive an email reminding you to Share My Fruit when the fruit ripens.

Only legally registered producers, i.e. farmers, may sell their produce in most counties around the US. These regulations differ from county to county and often are a quagmire of paperwork. Neighborhood Fruit was designed to facilitate people using excess urban fruit and to create community.

Many of our users use our services to share their excess herbs, nuts, and vegetables as well. Feel free to do the same, using "Other" as Fruit Type when registering.

Liability is always a concern with everything we do, but here are a few things that will protect you:

1. When Neighborhood Fruit connects you with someone to come pick your fruit, we will also ask them to agree to a also provide them with a liability waiver, indicating that they will not hold you responsible for any injury or illnesses that result from picking or eating your fruit to sign and give to you.
2. Taking precaution make injury or illness much less likely to occur. To greatly reduce the risk of falling, Neighborhood Fruit asks that members do not use ladders or climb trees to pick fruit, but instead use poles or extension fruit-pickers to retrieve fruit from high branches. You also want to make sure that your yard is free of hazards, such as holes, sharp objects, and upturned rakes, and that your dog or other pets are tied up or inside at the time that you arrange for the picking. If there are any hazards that you cannot remedy, be sure to specifically warn fruit pickers about those hazards. In this way, you can protect yourself from a lawsuit.
3. In many situations, the law provides liability protection to people who donate food to the needy. According to the Bill Emerson Food Security Act, you will be exempt (with some exceptions) from liability if you give your excess harvest to a non-profit organization for distribution to needy individuals. The Act also covers food that caterers or restaurants donate to charities. Of course, not everyone who receives fruit through Neighborhood Fruit would be classified as “needy” or meet the definition of “non-profit organization;” nevertheless, in some situations, the Act will apply and give you protection. To date there have been very few lawsuits resulting from any of the type food giving described in the Act.

It's always a good idea to use common sense. You may prepare the fruit for pick up from a public location or your work site if you don't want strangers on your property.

We are committed to privacy and the security of your personal information. Your details, including your address will only be divulged to others at your direction. For the specific details, please refer to the Neighborhood Fruit Privacy Policy.

Neighborhood Fruit is collaborating with the Urban Forest Mapping Project to capture information about urban forests and inner-city carbon sequestration. We do not share your private information with them; we only share information about your trees. When registering your tree, you will have an opportunity to opt-out from sharing your tree information if you wish not to participate.

Look on the map or list of fruit offered by other users, or map of fruit trees on public land to find what is available close to you! Simply enter your zip code and distance (both are required) to search within a particular area.

Mother Nature controls what fruit is available and when. The offerings on Neighborhood Fruit are dependant on how much people have to share. The best way to ensure more fruit in your community is to Spread the Word. Become our fan on Facebook to get up-to-the-minute updates on what is available.

It is illegal to enter private property without permission.

Contact us and we will take steps to resolve the issue with the Fruit Grower.

The best way to prevent surprises is to be clear with the Fruit Grower when you contact them; ask them what you should expect when arranging for pickup.

Register My Tree
Fruit Growers start by registering their fruit bearing tree. When the fruit is ready to share, My Tree information is available in a user's profile.

Share My Fruit
Fruit Growers use the Share My Fruit form to notify the community when their fruit is ready. When submitted, fruit information appears on a map; location is approximated to protect privacy.

Find Fruit
Fruit Seekers select desired fruit from the map and click "Connect me with this Fruit Grower".

Connection
Fruit Seekers and Growers are connected via email, which lists their preferred contact method.

Contact
Fruit Seeker reaches out to Fruit Grower to arrange for pick up.

Pick Up
At the time and location established, the Fruit Seeker and Grower meet.

Who Picks?
Some Fruit Growers prefer to pick their own fruit; others would rather let others do it. Neighborhood Fruit provides the Fruit Growers and Seekers with a Liability Release Form, to protect Fruit Growers from the liability of allowing Fruit Seekers to pick their fruit.

Currently, there are no fees associated with using Neighborhood Fruit.

Neighborhood fruit does not ship fruit.

Please Spread The Word in your community!