A group aiming to battle food waste planted 162 fruit trees in low-income Portland neighborhoods last year and theyre hoping their efforts are fruitful in more ways than one.

In the spring of 2023, the Portland Fruit Tree Project, funded by a $34,000 grant from the charity One Tree Planted partnered with local organizations to find community members interested in adding fruit trees to their gardens in historically low-income neighborhoods.

Founded in 2007, the PFTP initially began as a response to food waste, connecting overwhelmed homeowners with prolific fruiting trees with neighbors and community organizations that could use the produce. The group hosted volunteer harvest parties and fruit preservation workshops and taught general fruit tree care. Today, the majority of harvests are picked and made available to local community organizations, with a portion going to harvest volunteers.