Volunteer to pick fruit
Help us harvest & share the bounty!
Join Community Fruit Rescue in harvesting fresh, local fruit from backyard trees across Boulder County. Fruit picking is our most hands-on and popular volunteer opportunity — open to all ages and experience levels. It’s a chance to get outside, move your body, meet fellow community members, and make a direct impact in just a couple of hours.
Each harvest lasts about two hours and is led by trained Harvest Leader volunteers who guide volunteer pickers through the process. At the end of the event, you’ll take home a portion of the delicious bounty, knowing the remainder will be shared with neighbors across the county.
Harvests take place throughout Boulder County during the growing season (typically mid/late summer through the fall) — and getting involved is simple.
Our Harvest Hub is currently managed by Gleanweb. To register as a volunteer, edit volunteer information, sign up for harvests, and more, please visit our Harvest Hub. Contact our colleague Dick Yates with any issues or questions.
Get involved
For NEW volunteers
By volunteering with Community Fruit Rescue, you are agreeing to the Terms of Participation & Release Agreement.
First, register to volunteer
Everyone who attends a harvest must first be registered as a volunteer. Once you are registered, you are eligible to sign up for harvests, and you don't have to register again.
Sign up for a harvest
Open harvests are posted on the Harvest Calendar page. To sign up, click on the harvest link in the calendar, review the information about that harvest that appears under the calendar, click the sign up button, and then type in your name on the signup page. You must type it exactly as you did when you first registered, so we can match your record in our database.
You must read and check off the Terms of Participation & Release Agreement to be added to the roster. Then click on the button that says 'Signup for this harvest.'
Often times we add last minute harvests to the schedule, so be sure to check the Harvest Calendar regularly and sign up for our email list!
Please cancel if you can't make it!
If your schedule changes, please cancel so someone else can take your spot. The email you receive when you sign up will include a link where you can cancel. Your courtesy will also help us schedule the right number of volunteers for the available produce.
When you arrive to the harvest site
When you arrive, look for the sandwich board sign that will point you in the right direction. When everyone has arrived, We'll provide a brief orientation with helpful tips, information about the property and how to harvest.
What to bring
Bring water to drink, and please take care of any bathroom needs before arriving. At some harvest sites, a restroom may be available, but not always. Also bring with you a bag, box or container to take home your portion of the fruit!
What to wear
Come prepared for the weather! Sunscreen and a hat are useful on sunny days and raincoats are helpful if a rain shower comes through.
Who to contact with other questions
Please check out the Contact and FAQ pages. We are always happy to help.
For RETURNING volunteers
If you have already registered as a volunteer, please visit our Harvest Hub to do the following:
Sign up for harvests!
Manage all of your signups and waiting lists, view history, and update contact information.
Update your contact information or renew your registration.
Resend the reminder email for harvesting trips you are currently signed up for.
Send your harvesting trip attendance history by email.
View the Terms of Participation as a Community Fruit Rescue volunteer.
Log in to the database pages. (Requires a password; this is for authorized users like staff and harvest leaders only.)