Looking for Where to Donate Your Extra Citrus?
It’s that time of year! Do you currently have more than your fill of lemons, oranges, and grapefruit hanging from your backyard trees? Looking for a way to spread the abundance of citrus overflowing in your backyard but don’t know where to go to donate or who can help harvest and clean your trees?
We’ve pulled together this quick guide to help you get connected with organizations that are available to harvest and distribute your citrus to food insecure communities across Arizona.
PHOENIX/MARICOPA COUNTRY AREA
St. Mary’s Food Bank:
St. Mary’s citrus program is now open and runs until April 30, 2023. The food bank is currently accepting citrus drop off donations from all zip codes Monday through Friday at these two locations:
St. Mary’s Food Bank – Phoenix
2831 N. 31st Avenue
Phoenix, AZ 85009
8:00AM - 3:00PM
St. Mary’s Food Bank – Surprise
13050 W. Elm Street
Surprise, AZ 85378
8:00AM - 3:00PM
St. Mary’s offers limited gleaning services for the following zip codes: 85351, 85373, 85374, 85375. The service is limited and those interested must register for the service here.
Citrus Saturday Drop Off Dates
The following two churches will be hosting Citrus Saturday drop offs on select dates in February with St. Mary’s Food Bank staff and trucks available to accept your donations at the following locations and times.
Saturdays: February 4th & 11th, 2023
Desert Garden United Church of Christ
18818 N 128th Ave
Sun City West, AZ 85375
9:00am – 3:00pm
Saturdays: February 4th, 11th & 18th, 2023
Shepherd of the Hills UCC
5524 E. Lafayette Blvd.
Phoenix, AZ 85018
9:00am – 3:00pm
Drinking Gourd Farms
Drinking Gourd Farms is a community of politically-aligned Black farmers, gardeners, and homesteaders in Arizona who are focused on the physical, mental, and spiritual health of Black people through movement building, agriculture, health and wellness, and environmental stewardship. They are currently accepting citrus donations and can provide some gleaning and harvesting support.
Contact them on their Instagram account @Drinking_Gourd_Farms to learn more.
TUCSON/SOUTHERN ARIZONA
Iskashitaa Refugee Network
Iskashitaa Refugee Network (IRN) creates opportunities to integrate United Nations refugees into the Southern Arizona community while educating the public, strengthening the local food system, reducing local food waste, and increasing food security. This organization has been instrumental in harvesting and culling citrus and fruit trees across Southern Arizona any time of the year. To learn how you can donate or how you can reserve your spot to have your citrus trees cleaned, visit here.
Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona
While Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona does not offer harvesting services, they are currently accepting citrus donations. Note: due to Covid-19 restrictions, Community Food Bank locations in Marana, Green Valley, Amado, and Nogales are NOT accepting citrus donations. However, donated citrus can be dropped off at their Tucson location and at one of their local partner organizations. To view the list of locations, visit here.
OTHER TIPS & AVENUES
Spread the citrus love in your neighborhood and surrounding communities! One of the easiest ways to share your citrus is to drop a note on your NextDoor neighborhood app or on your social media channels.
While you may be swimming with citrus, those around you may not have access and would love to get their hands on some tasty lemons and grapefruit. Open up your yard or create a neighborhood day with other citrus tree owners to create a neighborhood u-pick event.
If you’re not in the Tucson/Phoenix area, consider reaching out to a food bank near you to see if they can accept your citrus donation, the Arizona Food Bank Network has created an excellent food bank directory that makes it easy for you to find and connect with a food bank near you, click here.