Welcome to the Ranchlands Edible Forest!

Established in 2022, the Ranchlands Edible Forest was a passion project for the 2021/2022 Board of Directors. Striving to create something that would benefit all Ranchlanders, it started as a  dream for the future but quickly came to fruition through generous funding from TreeCanada and the TD Parks People Grant.

Once the plants are established and producing fruit, the Edible Forest will be opened up and residents will be free to come collect fruit to take home at no cost to them. It’s just one of the ways the Ranchlands Community Association is trying to make a positive impact in the daily lives of Ranchlanders.

Phase one of the Edible Forest saw the planting of 11 fruit trees and 7 fruit bushes on September 17th 2022. It was a lot of hard work, but amazing volunteers from Ranchlands made it possible. We were also thrilled that our City Councilperson for Ward 2, Councillor Jennifer Wyness and the Honorable Pat Kelly MP were able to attend and help out. Without the support of our community, projects like this wouldn’t be possible.

Plans are already underway for phase two of the Edible Forest, which we hope to occur in the spring or summer of 2023. If you have an interest in volunteering with the RCA to help with watering, pruning or maintaining the Food Forest, please reach out to the office at RanchlandsCommunity@outlook.com to be added to our volunteer list.

 

 

A huge thank you to our generous sponsors:

 

Frequently asked questions

Can I come pick fruit now?
Not quite yet! The trees are still recovering after planting and will need some time to grow before we can open the gates. Please do not enter the fenced area at this time.

Once they start producing fruit, yields will be smaller so the RCA will use volunteers to harvest to ensure the trees aren’t damaged while they are still small. Keep an eye on our facebook page if you are interested in being a volunteer fruit picker! (You will get a share of everything picked)

When will the fruit be ready?
That depends on mother nature! We are hopeful we will have some fruit produced in 2023, however as yields will be small and the trees will still be fragile, we will use volunteers to harvest for the first year or two. Volunteer pickers will receive a share of the harvest with the rest going to Ranchlands Food Pantry hamper recipients and other community members.
Why did you only plant certain species?
The species selected were chosen based on a number of criteria. For trees, we wanted varieties that were both delicious, but also easy to care for, as the Edible Forest is maintained by volunteers.

For fruit bushes, we wanted a good variety of berry types that would be tasty but hearty to the climate and local wildlife. We would love to add more unique things, such as grape vines, however plants that require specialised care are problematic as we have lots of plants and very few volunteers.

Are you going to add to the Edible Forest?
Absolutely! We have Phase 2 plans in the works already. While the final additions will depend upon what funding we are able to secure, we are hoping to add additional trees, more fruit bushes, raised planters and benches in the future.
How can I help out with the Edible Forest?
Thank you so much for being willing to volunteer!

Currently we are in need of “Orchard Workers” to help with watering, pruning and maintaining the Edible Forest. In the future, we will need “Fruit Pickers” to help harvest fruit while the plants are still fragile and low yielding. Fruit Pickers will receive a share of the fruit harvested, as will Orchard Workers. The remainder will be distributed through the Ranchlands Food Pantry to local Ranchlands families.

To volunteer, please contact the office at ranchlandscommunity@outlook.com and we will let you know more details about how you can help.