‘Save Seattle’s Apples’ campaign seeks to save fruit

Published 1:01 pm Thursday, June 18, 2015

SEATTLE — Tens of thousands of apples grow along Seattle’s roadways or in front yards but last year, many were not edible because of bugs.

KING-TV reports that this year, City Fruit Harvest has launched a campaign called “Save Seattle’s Apples.”

Manager Luke Jersperson says every time apples get dumped, it’s a missed opportunity to feed people.

About 12,000 pounds of apples were composted after last year’s harvest because of maggots and coddling moths. That fruit could have fed 40,000 families.

City Fruit has distributed and placed 30,000 pest barriers across Seattle. It’s working with private land owners and in public parks and on roadsides.

They will donate the harvest to food banks.

The goal of the campaign is to organize the community to care for trees on public land.