2025: A Fruitful Year

What a year it's been! As 2025 draws to a close, we're reflecting on twelve months of incredible growth, community connection, and impact. From backyard fruit trees to productive orchards across Adelaide and the Hills, Fruit Share Adelaide has had its most successful year yet - and it's all thanks to our amazing volunteers, generous tree owners, and dedicated partner organisations.

The proof is in the produce

Since launching in January 2024, Fruit Share Adelaide has now rescued and redistributed 31,880 kilograms of fresh produce across South Australia. This year alone, we've surpassed 20,000kg, nearly doubling our first year's harvest and proving that community-driven food rescue is not just viable, it's thriving.

Our 302 harvests have taken us to 203 locations throughout Adelaide and the Hills. Each harvest represents a tree owner who chose to share rather than waste, a volunteer who gave their time, and a food relief organisation ready to serve those in need.

The variety of produce we've rescued reflects Adelaide's incredible growing conditions:

• Citrus: 12,065kg - lemons, oranges, mandarins, grapefruit, and limes

• Pome Fruit: 11,050kg - mainly apples and pears

• Vegetables: 7,680kg - predominantly tomatoes from generous backyard gardeners

• Stone Fruit: 535kg

• Other Produce: 550kg

Our top crops? Apples lead the way at 8,710kg, followed by tomatoes (6,940kg), lemons (4,050kg), oranges (3,320kg), mandarins (1,780kg), grapefruit (1,700kg), pears (1,660kg), and limes (1,090kg). Every kilogram represents food that nourished someone in our community rather than rotting in landfill.

Orange harvest in Panorama

Our growing community

So far, 247 people registered as volunteers, with over 100 actively participating in harvests throughout 2025. From seasoned pickers who've been with us since the beginning to first-timers discovering the joy of community harvesting, our Fruit Heroes are the backbone of everything we do.

Whether spending a morning picking fruit, delivering crates to food relief centres, or staffing our stall at community events, each volunteer embodies the spirit of generosity and connection that defines Fruit Share Adelaide. To every single person who pulled on gloves, climbed a ladder, or sorted produce this year - thank you. 

Partnerships that make it happen

Our network of food relief organisations has grown to 136 registered partners, with 80 actively receiving produce to support their communities. From emergency relief providers to community kitchens, neighbourhood pantries to schools, these partnerships ensure that rescued produce reaches those who need it most.

Building stronger foundations

This year, we've been fortunate to receive critical support that's helping us grow sustainably. The Suzanne Elliott Trust generously donated $5,000 to help us implement new software systems and build our organisational foundations. Their additional support has also provided branded Fruit Share Adelaide apparel for our team and a laptop to help run operations more efficiently. We're also grateful to the Mackintosh Family subfund through Foundations SA for their $3,000 donation toward the same goal.

These funds are enabling us to implement two purpose-built platforms - Common Fruit for managing harvest scheduling and volunteer coordination, and Better Impact for streamlining volunteer onboarding and engagement - which should be up and running in early 2026. These digital tools mean we can rescue more produce, coordinate our growing volunteer base more efficiently, and supply more food relief organisations across Adelaide.

Connecting across Adelaide

Beyond the harvests, 2025 saw us actively engaging with communities across the city. We attended markets, fairs, and events throughout the year, including the Hutt St Market, Connecting Community Event in Enfield, Meadows Country Fair, and the Tea Tree Gully Sustainability Fair, among others.

Each event gave us opportunities to meet potential tree owners, meet new volunteers, and share our message about turning backyard abundance into community nourishment. The enthusiasm we encountered reminds us that more people than ever want to be part of practical, local solutions to food waste.

Thank you

This year's success belongs to everyone who's been part of the journey. To the tree owners who registered their fruit trees, the volunteers who turned up to harvests, and the partner organisations distributing produce to those who need it - thank you. To the councils, businesses, and supporters who've backed our work - we appreciate your ongoing commitment to reducing food waste and strengthening community food security.

Looking to 2026

As we head into the new year, the stone fruit season is ramping up and we're ready for what promises to be another period of growth. 

We closed out 2025 with our Christmas picnic at Oaklands Park on 14 December, bringing together volunteers, supporters, and friends to celebrate this fruitful year and the community we've built together.

A highlight of the day was honouring three extraordinary volunteers who have helped make Fruit Share Adelaide what it is today.

Here's to keeping the momentum going in 2026. With your continued support, we'll keep turning surplus fruit into community nourishment, one harvest at a time.