Help a small orchard in Stuttgart and get free apples with this new platform

A lot of small orchard owners in the area cannot care for their trees anymore and prefer to give away their harvest instead of leaving it to rot

This week, authorities in Stuttgart, Germany, announced they have launched a new digital platform, which will connect owners of small apple orchards to the rest of the citizenry. According to an official statement by the city, as the fruit harvest season rolls around, many small growers have leftover fruit that they do not have any use for.

Instead of the fruit going to waste, the city has launched a platform where growers can advertise their stock and also ask for help with menial tasks around the orchards. Things like harvesting, pruning or even selling off small bits of their orchards. In exchange, people who are looking for free, fresh and local produce can get a taste of local culture. 

Agricultural region with a history

Orchards are a staple of the south of Germany and have shaped the cultural and natural landscape of the area for centuries. Apart from the apple itself, this region of Germany is also known for apple strudel and craft ciders, also known as apfelwein.

According to the German National Conservation Union, currently, there are 9.7 million apple trees in the state of Baden-Württemberg, with 67,000 of those located in Stuttgart alone. However, there are a lot of orchard owners who find it difficult to either sell off their harvest or even take care of the trees.

This is for a number of reasons, many stores rarely take in local small producers, and a lot of the growers themselves are quite old and simply lack the physical strength to take care of the trees. According to the city, the latter group is also increasingly looking for young people who can take up their piece of land and care for it in the future.

Young families, on the other hand, have a hard time finding fresh and local produce and would gladly pick the fruit, instead of leaving it there to rot. Additionally, the portal also allows people with orchards to ask for help with fruit tree pruning and tree maintenance, as a form of volunteer work.