Replanting fruit trees in Brazil

In this summer update, you'll find project summaries from our most recent projects, including our Trees for Tribes and Orchard for Animals programs, and our growing work with prisons as part of our Roots of Recovery initiative. 

You'll also find a field report from our program manager Leanna, describing her passion for our ongoing work each summer in Central America.

Lastly, we share summer orchard care tips alongside interesting news and research relevant to the world of fruit trees.

Project Updates (May, June & July)

This has been a particularly busy summer for the Fruit Tree Planting Foundation. Throughout the warmer months, we’ve been planting hundreds of community fruit trees in areas of high need across the United States, including within three special project areas: Roots of Recovery, Orchards for Animals, and Trees for Tribes. 

Roots of Recovery aims to provide orchards as safe and healing spaces for those in recovery or rehabilitation, such as prisons or addiction centers. In our Orchards for Animals program, we provide fruit trees for farmed animal rescue centers to support their work to give farmed animals full and healthy lives. Our tribal program is focused on supporting Native-led food security projects based on local knowledge and cultural practices. Our expert orchardists have also been visiting previously planted trees to provide advice and aftercare to support local orchard caretakers. Lastly, we are thrilled to share a field report from FTPF’s Program Manager from our projects in Central America last month.

Creating orchards to benefit incarcerated people Back in May, when the temperatures were cooler and bare-root planting season was still upon us, FTPF visited correctional facilities as part of our growing work to provide the benefits of fruit trees to incarcerated people. At the Ohio Reformatory for Women, a 40-tree orchard was planted on site as part of an agricultural program aimed at improving the physical and mental health of those housed here. Led by the center’s horticultural teacher Emily Stahl, the new orchard is meant to provide a welcoming space to grow food, skills, and social bonds, while also providing time outdoors and a connection to nature. Another orchard consisting of 45 trees was planted at the Flambeau Correctional Center in Wisconsin. Several of the participants shared ambitions and memories related to fruit trees -- one resident reminisced about helping his grandmother prune the trees in her garden, while another shared an ambition to own a landscaping company in the future.

Creating orchards to benefit rescued animals Also in May, our team visited two animal sanctuaries in the eastern U.S. to build safe, comfortable, and abundant havens for rescued farm animals. At Happy Compromise Farm and Sanctuary in New York, a nutrient-rich orchard of 40 apple, pear, plum, peach, and pear trees was planted with the help of staff and volunteers. The sanctuary also offers no-cost food from their harvests to the surrounding community to build connection and food security amongst their community. In New Jersey, an additional 40 trees were planted at Tamerlaine Sanctuary and Preserve to support their community of animals and volunteers, as well as educational programs on plant-based living and conservation. Both events were wonderful and a recognition of our founding ethos that all beings deserve healthy, happy environments to live and enjoy.

Supporting food sovereignty with Native communities As part of our ongoing commitment to support food security and sovereignty for Indigenous peoples, we partnered with several Native-run nonprofits earlier this summer to plant community fruit trees within tribal communities. Working with the Hozho Voices of Healing Center in the high-elevation rural area of the Navajo Nation, we helped create a 30-tree and 22-berry edible landscape as part of their regenerative farm. As Farm Manager Joshua Toddy said of the project:

“Establishing and maintaining food sovereignty is imperative for our people and communities. At the Hozho Center, we teach people how to grow food, how to care for it, and how to preserve it when harvest season arrives. Establishing an orchard is a critical element in not only teaching our community how to grow and care for fruit trees but also creating a long-term food source for generations to come."

Next up, our friends at Nalwoodi Denzhone of the San Carlos Apache Tribe welcomed FTPF arborist Erik to help create a large 40-tree orchard as part of their work to alleviate food insecurity and inspire hope and connection amongst tribal members. Farm Manager Chandler Ballinger explained the meaning of planting the orchard best:

"NDC is currently a valued food hub for the community. We are located in a food desert and are one of the only food producers on the 1.5 million-acre reservation. This orchard will aid us in fulfilling our mission to provide sustainable, nutritious food to the community of the San Carlos Apache tribe, and provide more opportunities to provide youth education services to the community."

While in the desert Southwest, we also visited previously planted orchards within some of the Pueblos of New Mexico. We first visited the Zia Pueblo to discuss expanding the original community orchard project from ten years ago, as well as planting a handful of new trees. To wrap up the tour and celebrate Arbor Day, we visited the Sandia Pueblo’s mature and thriving 200+ tree community orchard. This orchard, originally planted in 2014, now provides enough harvest for every single family in the Pueblo to receive a grocery bag full of apples, pears, plums, and peaches each summer, delivered for free right to their door!

As the butterflies flit from baby tree to baby tree, seemingly kissing each one, it is clear that planting fruit trees in Central America is more than just a fun activity; it’s a deeply rewarding experience that intertwines with the region’s cultural fabric, economic aspirations, and environmental needs.

For many, the journey of planting fruit trees is an exploration of hope, resilience, and community spirit. For me, it’s all about connection – to the earth, to the communities, to animals, to all of it.

From the moment a fruit tree is planted, there’s a palpable sense of anticipation. In El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala – where the FTPF team just spent more than two weeks, planting fruit trees is akin to sowing the seeds of the future. The process for us starts with careful planning and a visit to local nurseries to select the right varieties. Whether it’s the vibrant mango, the creamy avocado, or the tangy lime, each tree represents a promise of growth and abundance.

This year we planted over 10,350 trees. Each will require nurturing from our in-country project partners – SHARE Foundation, CONFRAS, ERIC, and Casa Guatemala – as the bond between the planter and the land deepens. As the trees mature and begin to bear fruit, the sense of accomplishment is profound. Harvesting is a time of celebration, marked by the tangible results of dedication to a different tomorrow. The harvest not only provides nourishment but also symbolizes the success of a journey that began with a single tree. We were lucky enough to visit some of the trees we planted in prior years that are already producing bountiful harvests, including a huge orchard in El Salvador that the community estimates in just two more years will feed folks outside their community as well. We also got to see many trees at Casa Guatemala all bearing delicious fruits. Those visits are some of my favorite parts of working with the Fruit Tree Planting Foundation – eating a ripe fruit off a tree I planted simply can’t be beaten.

Planting for me is a rich tapestry woven from hope, hard work, and community support. It embodies the promise of growth, the joy of nurturing life, and the rewards of a well-tended land. I cannot wait to go back in future years and see the continued growth, and what it has done for the community and the world!

--Leanna Pohevitz, FTPF Program Manager (July 2024)

Summer Orchard Care

With record-breaking heat waves attributed to a rapidly changing global climate, summers are increasingly challenging for even well-established orchards. However, with proper care and attention, we can adapt our orchard practices to ensure the trees survive the summers and thrive well into the future.

Tips to ensure healthy trees during the hottest months:

Water efficiently With extreme temperatures, you likely need to water more frequently. Water deeply and as often as necessary, so that enough water sinks 2 feet into the soil – for sandy soils, this is usually every 1 to 2 weeks; for clay soils, every 2 to 3 weeks. If feasible, consider installing an automated drip irrigation system to deliver water directly to the root zone, reducing evaporation and ensuring consistent moisture. Remember watering deeply and infrequently is best (rather than frequently and shallowly) to establish strong and stable root structures.

Mulch for soil health & moisture Maintain a thick layer of mulch around the base of trees to retain soil moisture, regulate temperature, suppress summer weeds, and reduce irrigation burden. It is critical to ensure mulch is kept a few inches away from the trunk to prevent rot.

Address disease An integrated approach can help control diseases this summer. This includes practices that attract beneficial insects, such as ladybugs and lacewings, to naturally reduce pest populations, and employing organic or targeted treatments only when necessary.

Prune as necessary Summer pruning can also be used to remove dead or diseased branches, as well as water sprouts and suckers to help direct the tree’s energy into producing high-quality fruit. Be judicious with your summer pruning and save the bulk of the work for the winter months when the trees are dormant.

Maintain nutrients To promote healthy soils, summer is a good time to spread compost. For young trees, the well-decomposed organic material can be placed directly on top of the soil above the root ball (be sure to avoid piling compost or anything right up against the trunk). Healthy soil supports better root growth and improves tree resilience against environmental stresses.

Thin fruit Keep an eye on the developing fruit on trees and thin these as necessary to prevent branches from breaking under excess weight and to improve the size and quality of remaining fruits. Although this is one of the hardest orchard tasks to do – we all want a lot of fruit! – it helps the tree conserve energy for next year's growth.

Regional adjustments Be prepared to adjust care routines based on weather patterns in your region. The climate is less predictable, and it is important to shield the trees from extremes in temperatures. For example, during unusually hot and dry spells like we’ve seen recently, increase watering frequency; for areas with monsoons like the desert Southwest, ensure good drainage during wetter periods to prevent root rot.

Fruit Tree News

A quick round-up of news and research relevant to our work:

Reviving heritage apples for climate resilience A new UK genetics project is working to revive lost apple tree varieties to combat the climate crisis. By identifying and preserving diverse apple genetics, the initiative aims to enhance resilience against environmental changes and pests. This effort not only helps in safeguarding heritage apple species but also contributes to future food security and ecological sustainability. The project highlights the importance of genetic diversity in agriculture as a response to global climate challenges.

Extreme heat is driving up the cost of fruit and vegetables A recent CNN article highlights the impact of extreme heat waves on produce prices. Rising temperatures and severe weather conditions have led to reduced crop yields, contributing to higher costs for fruits and vegetables. The article references a 2021 study predicting that the economic toll of these climate-induced disruptions could reach $1.7 billion annually by 2030. This trend underscores the urgency of addressing climate change, as well as creating more robust, sustainable food systems, to ease the dual crises of climate change and food insecurity/availability.

Integrating trees with agriculture can help tackle climate changeAgroforestry – or the practice of integrating trees with crops and agriculture – has been found to mitigate the effects of climate change. In temperate regions, agroforestry provides valuable ecosystem services, such as benefits to biodiversity, as well as carbon sequestration. Benefits are even more established for tropical regions – such as FTPF’s active agroforestry initiatives in Uganda, El Salvador, and Peru – where not only is the evidence clear, but also local people have strong cultural and historical traditions of agroforestry.

Young farmers are determined to overcome barriers to entry With most farmers over 65 years old in the U.S., it is important to recruit young people to grow food – yet land access is a major barrier for many. A new wave of young farmers is finding innovative ways to overcome one of the main challenges for new entrants to farming: access to land. From backyard farming and forming collectives to leasing public land, these strategies are helping new farmers cultivate crops without owning traditional farmland. For example, some are turning rental property yards into productive spaces, whilst others are forming coalitions with other farmers to secure leases. These approaches highlight the importance of creativity, community, and resourcefulness in modern agriculture, but they also present a fundamental problem within our current agricultural system that limits those interested in growing food from entering farming.

From all of us at the Fruit Tree Planting Foundation, we wish you a happy summer season full of ripe plums, delicious cherries, juicy peaches, and lots of time in the orchard!

To a fruit-filled summer,

The FTPF Team