Help Deal Orchards Send Apples to Families in Need

My name is Eli Snyder. As a part of and on behalf of Deal Orchards, I am organizing a GoFundMe campaign to raise money to send North Carolina apples to families in need following the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene.

Deal Orchards is a third generation, family owned orchard in the Brushy Mountains of western NC. We raise 110 acres of peaches, nectarines, Asian pears and apples. We are located close to some of the communities most devastated by Hurricane Helene: 40 miles from Boone, and 80 mi from Asheville.

The orchard has experienced some hardship as a result of the storm. There is damage to trees, damage to fruit, and damage to some of the infrastructure that supports regional food distribution. We feel very fortunate that our farm families and staff are safe and well.

This past week we were able to donate apples to those providing food for those facing hardships. We are limited in our ability to donate endlessly, but there is a need for more donations.

We would love to donate all of the fruit that can be distributed, but we cannot cover the expenses needed to pay our employees to pick, package, and distribute the fruit.

We are creating this fundraiser in order to be able to donate more NC grown apples to food distribution efforts throughout western NC and areas affected by Hurricane Helene.

Every dollar donated will go towards fruit donation in the region.

Some amounts to consider:

$25 covers growing, picking, washing, grading, and packing of 1 bushel of apples

$28 covers all of the above plus distribution (gas and delivery staff) of 1 bushel of apples

$100 helps cover the cost of growing and packing one bin (18 bushels) of 3rd quality apples for livestock feed

Any amount helps. Recognizing that some of our market sales will be affected, contributing to this fund will help us to grow fruit to feed our community this year and beyond.

We are setting an initial goal of $5000. Recovery efforts are being described as a marathon, not a sprint. The need may be ongoing from food distribution groups, and we may adjust the goal accordingly.

Your donation is a meaningful way to directly support residents of WNC and help keep a local orchard going this season.

Thank you for your support and please follow along to track our progress this season!