Orchard for ALL!

The Orchard for ALL! program creates a community orchard, using hundreds of Richmond backyards to increase access to healthy, delicious fruit for families who struggle with food insecurity. We offer community fruit orchards where residents can harvest fresh, nutritious produce and learn about sustainable agriculture and environmental care. Our programs actively reduces food waste by redirecting surplus food to those in need, keeping it out of landfills, and ensuring it serves a greater purpose. This is known as “Gleaning”.

With this project, we address the inaccessibility of fresh fruits in Richmond and uplift our youth through employment training and opportunities, to grow their civic engagement within their community.  Orchard for ALL! is hiring 4 Gleaner Apprentices in February 2025 to help nourish the Richmond community through tree care and fruit harvesting. They will learn in-depth knowledge of fruit trees and fruit tree care, receive hands-on training, and help distribute fresh produce at free farm stands. Want to learn more or apply? Learn more below!

Join us in building healthier, more sustainable communities—where everyone has access to fresh food and where our youth lead the way toward positive change.

Community Offerings
Gleaning Program

If you grow food and are interested in donating your surplus to reduce food waste and improve your community’s nutrition, join our FREE Gleaning Program. Our dedicated team is ready to help you by collecting your excess produce (also known as gleaning) and ensuring it gets to others in need. Let’s harvest for a cause and nourish our community together!

This program is available to all West Contra Costa residents including those who live in the Iron Triangle, Santa Fe, and Coronado neighborhoods.

More Information

How to sign up: Participants are encouraged to sign up for our programs once each year through our Google Form application, linked below.

After initial registration: Your information will be retained in our system, allowing us to notify you of our services, upcoming events, and opportunities without requiring annual re-registration. However, we offer the option to update your information or preferences at any time to ensure you receive the most relevant communications.

Distribution of fruit: Fruits are distributed through free farm stands at local Richmond locations, including Lucas Park, Unity Park, Parchester Village, North Richmond, and Crescent Park. Additionally, our Veggie Rx program delivers fresh produce directly to Richmond residents enrolled in our initiative, helping them improve their health through the power of fruits and vegetables.

Tree Care Program

We’re excited to offer FREE tree care services for all residents of Iron Triangle, Santa Fe, and Coronado in Richmond! Our mission is to help you and your trees thrive by providing a range of essential services at no cost.

Our Services Include

1. Seasonal Pruning: Our expert team provides winter and summer pruning based on your desired tree size and shape. This service ensures your trees remain healthy, balanced, and aesthetically pleasing throughout the seasons.

2. Soil Amending: We assess the specific needs of your fruit trees and amend the soil accordingly. Whether your soil lacks essential nutrients or requires adjustments to better nourish your trees, our soil amending service promotes optimal growth and fruit production.

3.Tree Inspections: Our team conducts thorough inspections to identify any issues affecting your trees. Early detection of potential problems can make a significant difference in your tree’s long-term health.

More Information

Participants are encouraged to sign up for our programs once each year. After initial registration, your information will be retained in our system, allowing us to notify you of upcoming events and opportunities without requiring annual re-registration. However, we offer the option to update your information or preferences at any time to ensure you receive the most relevant communications.

2025 OFA Gleaning Apprenticeship Program

Become a Gleaner Apprentice and embark on a transformative six-week journey into the world of sustainable agriculture and community service. This comprehensive training program offers aspiring young professionals an opportunity to develop critical skills in organic tree care, botany, and biology of fruit trees. You’ll learn advanced integrated pest management (IPM) techniques, explore the intricate life cycles of fruit trees, and gain expertise in culling and harvest methods while mastering safe tool usage.

Learn More

Throughout the program, participants will also cultivate essential soft skills, including professional customer service and communication strategies. The curriculum emphasizes environmental stewardship, providing in-depth insights into climate change, the critical importance of preserving plant diversity, and responsible land conservation practices. After completing the intensive training, top-performing apprentices may be invited to join the year-round Orchard for ALL team, where they’ll care for local fruit trees, harvest produce, and redistribute fresh fruits to families in need.

This apprenticeship is more than just a training program—it’s a pathway to future success. Participants will develop hard arborist skills and professional competencies that can lead to higher-paying jobs in land management or inspire further education in ecological fields. By combining hands-on learning, environmental education, and community service, this program offers a unique opportunity for youth to make a meaningful impact while building a promising career.

Application Details

Urban Tilth is hiring 4 Gleaners Apprentices to help nourish the Richmond community through tree care and fruit harvesting. You’ll receive hands-on training, work in Richmond’s Iron Triangle, and help distribute fresh produce at free farm stands.

The program runs February 24 – April 4, 2025, offering $1600 Stipend upon completing 100 program hours.

Applications now open through Friday, February 7th

Orchard For All! Program Impact 
  • For the past 4 years, through a celebrated annual event, Urban Tilth has given away hundreds of fruit trees: apples, pomelos, oranges, peaches, plums, and apricots. The design of Orchard for All! leverages these fruit trees, already planted in our project area, to increase access to healthy food in Richmond, while decreasing food waste. 
  • Orchard for ALL! also uses successful alternative food distribution mechanisms, 1) FREE pop-up farm stands, 2) CSA deliveries, and 3) VeggieRX pick-up locations, to create additional points of access within walking distance of where families live, eliminating the barriers of transportation and convenience. 
  • Orchard for ALL! will draw on Richmond’s existing assets to make critical health, environmental, and economic changes. 
  • Orchard for ALL! will help to grow and redistribute over 10,000 lbs of fresh, remarkably locally grown produce each year, with that number growing as the trees we will care for mature. 
  • Orchard for ALL! will also plant 1600 additional fruit trees in the project area over the next 5 years, creating opportunities to sequester carbon, cool potential heat islands, and help improve air quality. 
  • Orchard for ALL! will build community, strengthening neighbours’ connections to each other, collectively supporting healthy youth development, and spreading the joy of growing and sharing delicious fruit.

The design of this project is a direct result of community feedback. It formally incorporates this feedback and will formalize fruit tree care, tree owner relationships, fruit-safe harvest, washing and redistribution and create jobs for local youth.

This project originated from post-Fruit Tree Giveaway community feedback (surveys and verbal exchanges with giveaway participants). Through these feedback mechanisms, numerous participants indicated that they would like to support properly planting the fruit trees they received during the giveaways and support either through community workshops and or direct support to properly care for the trees so that they remain healthy, pest-free, and produce fruit. We also received feedback from those with trees predating our giveaways seeking support in collecting and redistributing the fruit as there was too much fruit for them, their families, or their neighbors to eat. 

During the past few years, Urban Tilth staff has informally gone out and helped harvest fruit at a few locations and redistributed this fruit via our FREE farm stands. Now with Orchard for ALL we can formalize these relationships and grow the offering to meet the needs of our community. 

Join the OFA Newsletter!

Our Richmond Fruit Tree Lovers Newsletter arrives in inboxes quarterly with fruit tree care and gleaning information, helpful resources and knowledge, and other opportunities. Sign up today and stay informed!