About

Our Mission

The Lawrence Fruit Tree Project provides a community-based solution to a critical and growing need for direct access to healthy food. We work to educate, assist, and inspire the public to grow, steward, and utilize perennial food plants. Our aim is to build community, increase local food security, and create direct, lasting bonds between people and their urban environment.

Persimmon, pawpaw, plum, elderberry, apple, apricot, and cherry (native tall grass prairie in the background)

Ripening apples

 

Supporting local fruit tree endeavors can be very rewarding for you and your community

Fruiting trees not only provide a renewable and annual source of fresh fruit and nuts, they also protect our soil, provide shade, and are very attractive in the landscape.   Urban orchards produce a generous amount of delicious fruit.

Fruit trees provide interesting educational opportunities for everyone.  They reconnect us with nature and our agrarian roots. They also provide us with satisfying community activities that bring folks together.  Enjoying the fruits of our labor is something to look forward to every year!

Volunteer opportunities include planting events, tree care projects, harvesting parties, assisting with workshops and other tasks that will grow our organization.

10 reasons why growing fruit makes our city a better place

Fruit trees provide a renewable and annual source of  delicious fresh fruit and nuts.

Wholesome foods such as those from fruit trees improve nutrition and health.

Growing fruit trees can teach valuable and marketable skills such as planting, tending, composting, and food processing, and provides an excellent learning laboratory for children to learn about biology and food production.

Fruit trees are an attractive part of our landscape with their beautiful blooms, foliage and fruit.

Coming together to plant, harvest and maintain fruit trees strengthens the social fabric of the community, thus making our neighborhoods cleaner, safer, and more livable.

Fruit trees connect folks and their agrarian roots.

Fruit trees increase food security by reducing our reliance on imported produce.

Fruit trees connect people to place.  Eating locally creates direct, lasting bonds between people and their urban environment.

Fruit trees benefit the environment by reducing urban heat, absorbing carbon emissions, filtering water, cleaning the air, absorbing noise, and reducing storm water runoff.

It feels really good to walk by a fruit tree and pick a ripe fruit.

To see LFTP upcoming events, CLICK HERE

See the RESOURCES link page for a complete list of resources.