Fresh, juicy and delicious fruit may be closer than you think. Instead of traveling to a grocery store, why not step into your neighbor’s yard?
According to CBS News, while many Americans purchase fresh fruit from their local supermarkets, Davis Burns, Matias Viegener and Austin Young have developed a better idea — one that can save you money and even bring communities together.
Seven years ago, these three friends launched an art experiment known as the “Fallen Fruit Collective” — participants in the project found and mapped fruit growing in their local, public spaces.
Originated in Los Angeles, California, the experiment has picked up momentum; communities across the U.S. have come together to develop fruit maps of their local towns and cities. Neighborhoods in Boulder, CO, Salt Lake City, UT and San Francisco, CA all have fruit maps; Fallen Fruit Collective has even reached Colombia, Mexico, Austria and Sweden.
The maps include hot spots for the freshest figs, grapes, tangerines and other fruit in your town — all you have to do follow the map and pick the fruit yourself!
To find out if there is a fruit map of your town or one close by, visit Fallen Fruit’s Facebook page here. If your town doesn’t have a fruit map, you and your friends are invited to make one. Then, share it with Fallen Fruit so your neighbors can find the freshest and cheapest fruit in your area.
During our swing to the south, Food University Star Instructor Curtis Aikens cooked and entertained the audience at the IKEA in Charlotte. The crowd ate up his jokes and also learned useful culinary tips.