With many lifestyle properties around New Zealand enjoying an abundance of fruit, there's plenty of opportunities for sharing the surplus.
Waikato apiarists Stephanie and Martin Lynch, of Sweetree Honey, are doing their bit to encourage others to share and use any spare fruit.
The couple are hoping people will return any old Sweetree Honey Jars to them - all for a good cause.
Stephanie has recently joined the “Horotiu Honeys” branch of Rural Women of NZ. “We have been thinking about what we can do to help the community and came up with a project, ‘Sharing the Surplus’,” she says.
“We often see fruit trees laden with fruit and not picked and it seems such a shame when there are so many people struggling to put food on the table.”
The project aims to turn that surplus into preserves.
“We have started with Old Fashioned Marmalade, from the RWNZ A Good Harvest recipe book. We procured some grapefruit, oranges and lemons from Freecycle, Community Fruit Hamilton and a lovely gentleman down the road who didn’t use his lemons."
“We then got busy washing sterilising our jars, cutting and blending fruit, measuring ingredients, stirring pots and filling jars.”
Stephanie said the experience was fun and they loved helping people in their community. The jars are currently going to Ngaruawahia Community Care Centre and are included in food bank parcels.
Originally published in NZ Farmer Lifestyle Magazine, January 2013.
