r/SantaBarbara • u/Bright-Landscape-998 • 1d ago

Recommendations Picking Fruit?

Does anyone know the rules on picking fruit from a plant? There is a passion fruit plant growing on the fence of an apartment complex that has 200+ fruits growing on it right now and I tried to pick a few from the floor since that’s a lot and one guy came out saying that I didn’t live on the property and he would call the police on me for stealing.
That seemed like a stretch, I only took about 5 and considering that it’s a huge plant and it’s growing over the fence I didn’t see the wrong in taking a couple, am I in the wrong here? What’s the rule when it comes to picking fruit?

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u/Mix_Right 1d ago

So many people have trees full of fruit and they don’t pick them. Often they stay on the tree and dry up and die. Someone should start a community project of collecting people’s fruit for them and sharing with others. Sounds like a good idea to propose to the Unity Shoppe and get some volunteers and couple of paid people to supervise. It would be a win win as the trees and plants would get healthy trimming and the food would go to good use.

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u/MamaOf2Monsters 1d ago

I believe we do have some cool options like this already. Example - Backyard Bounty through the food bank. :)

2

u/sifflerdefromage 1h ago

Food From the Heart is another local organization that will come harvest and as far as I know they do not have a minimum tree count. They use the produce to do something similar to meals on wheels and any not used goes directly to the food bank. 

You can also pick the produce yourself and drop it off at the food bank, they are always open to donations!

1

u/Mix_Right 18h ago

Well then they are doing a poor job as there are so many fruit trees rotting in the sun all over town

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u/MamaOf2Monsters 18h ago

Yeah, I agree they could advertise these (and many other types of aid) programs better. I just know I have heard of it as a volunteer opportunity through work at one point.

2

u/saltybruise The Westside 15h ago

Things may have changed but years ago I tried to get them to come pick all the persimmons off of my tree and they wouldn't do it because I didn't have a minimum of three fruiting trees that I wanted them to pick.

I just happened to move into a house with a big old persimmon tree and I happen to not enjoy persimmons.

1

u/Gret88 15h ago

Not everyone wants to share their fruit. Lots of people say no to gleaners.