Kickstart Operation Fruit Rescue Edmonton

Operation Fruit Rescue Edmonton (OFRE) is a non profit organization that will get locally grown fruit into the hands, mouths, and minds of people in the Edmonton capital region through fostering the development of community relationships, "hands on" workshops and knowledge sharing.  OFRE connects our community through harvesting and preserving local fruit. Our mission is to reduce waste, share knowledge, and empower Edmontonians with food preservation skills, ensuring that everyone benefits from the bounty of fresh, locally grown produce.

In 2024, OFRE began a new chapter. After years of successfully coordinating fruit rescues, the organization transitioned its focus to educating the community on food preservation techniques. The torch of organizing fruit rescues was passed on to another organization, allowing OFRE to concentrate on offering workshops that teach essential skills like canning, fermentation, and cider pressing. This shift ensures that OFRE continues to play a vital role in supporting Edmonton’s food security, now by empowering individuals to preserve their harvests and reduce waste.

As we transition to our new mandate, we are requesting donations to assist in getting some projects underway.  The first year of operations will be the toughest.  We need to reach out to Edmontonians, recruit a volunteer team, develop our workshop offerings and find local knowledge keepers to teach them, and get an annual calendar of events in place.  We are attempting to do this up-front work without the prospect of generating income through event ticket sales or grants in the near term.  A small amount of funds will get us past this obstacle to a financially stable model that will keep us serving the Edmonton community for the long term.

Please consider supporting us as we make the push to become an actively contributing member of Edmonton's community ecosystem again!  For more information on the organization, please visit our web site, https://operationfruitrescue.org/.