Your Approach to Foraging

Posted by Jamil on May 16, 2010 at 4:54pm
I've become a stealthy hunter on my daily runs the past few weeks, prowling my neighborhood (which conveniently is filled with historic homes dating back 60-80 years on irrigated lots - meaning a lot of mature trees and many fruit varieties). You wouldn't believe how many fruit trees I've spotted and I'm just scratching the surface:

20+ pomegranate trees
8+ fig trees
2 groves of banana plants!
berries
peaches
kumquats
tons of citrus (grapefruit, tangelos, oranges, etc)
3 date palms

I'm curious what other foragers are doing to pick from their local finds.  Do you ask the owner or just go for it?  Day or night picking?  

I've been sneaking a few peaches from one house, but feel a bit shady doing it like I'm gonna get caught.  I don't feel bad picking citrus this time of year since it is so late in the season and its just dropping everywhere. I figure they had their chance for the past 4-5 months if they really wanted to pick and eat it.

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Replies

  • oriana May 15, 2011 at 9:28am
    Jamil, I live in Tempe and am a marathon runner.  Do you know of some good cheap fruit places.  Also, are there marathons other than the PF Chang, Lost Dutchman, etc. or free runs around here?  I am running in Jan the PF Change full again and also in June the San Diego marathon.
  • Amy Apricot March 6, 2011 at 2:46am

    theres a property up the road from where i live and its just a vacant block of bushland, no house etc. there is a massive fig tree and heaps of plum and apricot trees growing on it. they are abandoned and the fruit was falling to the ground going rotten so i help myself :D  it makes me frustrated when there are heaps of ripe figs at the top of the tree out of my reach lol, the fig tree is really tall

     

    • Axel Wendt > Amy Apricot November 24, 2011 at 10:49pm

      Just climb it! Fig trees are very easily climbed :D

      You are a very lucky girl! Good luck with the figs at the top :D

  • Jamil May 16, 2010 at 10:14pm
    Let me be a bit more clear. I've never trespassed on a private home's property to forage fruit. My post did seem to convey that, but I usually will pick fruit that is accessible from a public right of way, like an alley, canal, common area, sidewalk, etc. or if the tree is in a public space. Often times a citrus tree will be way overgrown over someone's back fence and it is clear they don't pick what is there. I don't feel guilty snagging a few to eat while I'm out running around.

    I don't see the harm in asking and that is what I plan on doing in the future. Especially, if they have an abundance of fruit that isn't being eaten! Of course I would respect the owner in whatever their response would be.

    Any other experiences out there?
  • Linda May 16, 2010 at 9:02pm
    I think you should not steal fruit from other people's trees! Even asking is not so good, I think. I have got a vineyard, and one day a stupid man came to ask me to pick some grapes....but he meant to pick it every time he wanted to, so he came so many times...and what about the grapes for my family?!!!
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