The fall harvest is beautiful thing, though too often some of the food in people’s backyards is wasted but a local organization is working to change that.

FruitShare Barrie is now into its second year and will gladly take any fruit on trees, vines and bushes. That can include anything from mulberries and grapes to peaches, pears and Thursday’s pick which was apples.

“FruitShare Barrie finds and harvests food otherwise wasted in our neighbourhoods and distributes it to the food bank, the home owner and the volunteers,” says Jenna Zardo with FruitShare Barrie. ”We pick hundreds of pounds off the trees sometimes and that’s hundreds of pounds that could be feeding people who don’t otherwise have access to that kind of food.

Dozens of volunteers work to make sure every apple is picked and they share in the fruits of their labour, volunteers get to keep about a third of what they collect.

“I’m going to be baking, baking and cooking with apples. It’s a favourite in our house, so I’m in luck that this pick worked out for today,” says volunteer Roslyn Lim.

But Lim says the food she produces isn’t the biggest reward from her day of picking.

“We got involved because we think it’s a great way to help the owners of the trees, help the food bank, and meet people in the city.

Homeowners get one third of the produce and the food bank gets the last third. It’s a tasty donation for those who typically only get canned goods.

“Customers at the food bank get what’s available there so when they get a fresh basket of produce when they come in, it really means a lot,” says Zardo.

FruitShare Barrie volunteers will continue to pick until the end of October.