Lawrence Fruit Tree Project Invites Public to Upcoming Potluck and Cider Pressing Party – The Lawrence Times

Since 2012, the Lawrence Fruit Tree Project has been sharing the fruits of its labor—from papayas to persimmons—with the local community.

As the late summer harvest comes to a close, the LFTP team will celebrate the season’s harvest at a Fall Harvest Party on Sunday, September 29 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.

The Fall Party will be held at the Lawrence Community Orchard, the project’s main hub of activity at 830 Garfield St. Amid rows of more than 30 varieties of fruit trees, attendees will enjoy games, potluck food, hand-pressed apple cider and live music from the acoustic band Megafauna.

Skyler Adamson is the co-founder and coordinator of the project, which operates under the umbrella of the nonprofit Sunrise Project. He says the premise of his work is simple: plant trees, eat fresh fruit, and make friends along the way.

“If you have a tree full of fruit and it’s in the public domain, it becomes a little hub for meeting strangers. I experience that all the time,” Adamson says. “I’ve been in this orchard for 13 years. I’ve met a lot of people and I’ve seen a lot of young people develop their knowledge of plants.”

In addition to the community orchard, LFTP helps other local partners plant and maintain their own. The project has brought joy to community organizations like the Lawrence Public Library and Home Works USA, a rural transitional home for young adults who have left the foster care system.

“It’s a lot of fun when people have that ‘aha’ moment when they understand how to better plant and care for their trees,” Adamson says. “Everyone can have a special kind of joy when they experience an orchard or garden.”

One of the stars of Lawrence Community Orchard is its forest of papaya trees. Papaya is the only tropical fruit native to Kansas that often has a flavor described as banana-mango custard. Some of the fruits picked in the orchard in the fall include persimmons, which have flavor notes of honey and cinnamon; amber fall berries, which are tart and spicy; and jujubes, which have a syrupy flavor and texture reminiscent of apples.

After more than a decade of growing these varieties, Adamson noticed how the changing climate affected the amount and timing of harvests.

“Our fruit season is ending much sooner than usual this year,” he says. “By the end of September, there won’t be a single one left, more or less. If anyone wants to try the taste of ripe fruit, come here quickly.”

The Lawrence Community Orchard is free and open to anyone who wants to come and pick fruit. The LFTP team also encourages people to get involved with volunteer days.

“We’ll have volunteer opportunities through November, usually on Monday evenings starting around 6 p.m. Our people will be here, so anyone can show up and help with maintenance,” Adamson says. “We’ll do the same thing for a few hours one or two Saturdays a month, and especially around March we have special events where volunteers can help us plant in other parts of town.”

LFTP’s operating budget comes from grants, donations, and fundraising.

The group is hosting a fundraising cake auction on Saturday, October 12 from noon to 3 p.m. at the Sunrise Project headquarters at 1501 Learnard St. People can also donate directly through the Sunrise Project website. Follow the project on Facebook and Instagram to keep up with its work.

Jordan Winter (she/her), a staff writer for The Lawrence Times since August 2021, graduated from the University of Kansas in 2019 with a degree in journalism and political science.

Check out her work at jrdnwntr.com. See more of her work for the Times here.

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