Bare Those Fruit Trees
Making good use of excess fruit to reduce bear conflicts
While it is clear that unsecured household trash is the main reason for bear conflicts with humans in areas such as ours, ripened fruit left on or under trees is another attractant that could be largely avoided. Gathered for human consumption, for livestock feed, or for composting, this “excess” fruit could be put to good use — truly a win-win solution.
Potential Benefits:
- Fewer bear conflicts with people.
- Less damage to fruit trees.
- Less waste fruit on streets and sidewalks.
- More local food for human consumption.
- Local livestock feed.
- Local organic matter for compost.
Potential Uses:
- Fruit tree owners harvest edible fruit for their own families and friends.
- Local gleaners harvest edible fruit for low-income people in our community.
- Apples collected for annual Apple Days Celebration as in the past.
- Over-ripe fruit collected for livestock feed.
- Over-ripe fruit collected for composting, best composted outside urban areas.
What You Can Do:
- First: make sure your trash is secured from bears.
- Harvest your own fruit as soon as it is ready.
- Look into electric fencing if necessary and appropriate in your area.
- Coordinate picking fruit with your neighbors.
- Let others know if you have fruit available for gleaning: for eating, for donating to the needy, or for animal feed or composting. See the Good Food Collective’s Fruit Gleaning website if you have fruit for gleaning or want to glean.
