Register your fruit trees with UpRoot

UpRoot is a nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing agricultural surplus in Colorado and provides free gleaning services to farmers and homeowners. UpRoot offers a third of the picked produce to the fruit-tree stewards, a third is offered to volunteers, and the remainder is donated to local hunger-relief partners.

In addition to supporting community members dealing with food insecurity, UpRoot’s efforts also help reduce bear visits across the Roaring Fork Valley. Every year, bears are euthanized in the valley. As climate change impacts seasonal patterns, bears face less reliable food sources in the high country and increasingly venture into towns searching for food, leading to interactions with humans. UpRoot strives to limit human-bear conflicts by harvesting fruits to help keep property owners and bears safe.

Some homeowners enjoy participating in the gleaning process, inviting friends to join, while others prefer to have UpRoot handle the harvesting. There’s no obligation to be involved. UpRoot always offers the homeowner a share of the fruit they glean and encourages volunteers to take a bag home for themselves and their families.

Roaring Fork Valley residents are encouraged to Register their fruit trees fruit trees and farms for free gleaning to help prevent bear encounters. Volunteers can also sign up to glean.