It's a plum good idea! Hello Friends! Here at Neighborhood Fruit, we’ve had an extremely exciting month! After we were featured in the The New York Times, we received a lot of media attention. We have been growing very fast, so welcome to new members! Some of you have even been kind enough to tell your friends and families about us, and we are really grateful for that. If you would like to spread the word about us, please contact us with your mailing address and we will send you info pack to share in your community. It's plum season here in California and we've gone plum crazy! Thanks to the new seasonality search on the public tree map, we have been able to find tons of local fruit. We went plum, loquat and blackberry picking in San Francisco several times this month (pictures). We enjoyed our fruit picking adventures so much that we are planning to make them a regular event. Please join us for The Great Golden Gate Plum Hunt on July 11th - it’s just a plum good idea to come! Become our friend on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to receive up-to-the minute updates and invites. If you can't make it to our fruit pickings, we encourage you to organize your own and share the information and pictures with us! We also are proud to announce a partnership with Philadelphia Orchards Project, dedicated to bringing healthy food, green spaces and community food security. Check their good work! Plumtasticly Yours, Kaytea & Oriana Welcome home!

Fruitfillment Inspired by an article about Neighborhood Fruit, July's label features the ever-so-scary Mullberry Monster! Use the label to identify fruit prepared for Fruitfillment. Many of you have tried out the Fruitfillment service this month. For those who are new to Neighborhood Fruit, here's a refresher course on how it works. Do you have fruit growing in your back yard? Yes I do! Take a moment to register your trees. No I don't, but I do know where some fruit trees are growing in a park nearby. Add the trees to our public tree map. Is your tree bearing fruit right now? Yes it is and I have plenty to share! Schedule a time to share your fruit. Don't forget to attach current fruit label when sharing your fruit! No I don't, but I would like some! Find fruit in your neighborhood! Do people like using Fruitfillment? Yes they do! Here is what they say: I wanted to thank you for the lovely plums! The plums were large, ripe, succulent, and in good condition for transportation. Much better than I expected! I work with homeless individuals and I am so pleased that I will be able to supply them with fresh fruit with their breakfast and lunch on Wednesday thanks to this program.           -Sarah A. Download the label now!

Allyson's Plum Barbecue Sauce Just in time for the barbecue season! This recipe comes from one of Neighborhood Fruit’s favorite customers and friends. Allyson has a bazillion fruit trees at her house, and is always giving us bags of delicious backyard fruit. Every year, around this time, she makes this awesome barbecue sauce from her extra plums. Ingredients 2 cups minced onions 2 pounds of cherry plums from Flowering Plum trees 1 pound light brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 1 teaspoon Allspice 2 teaspoon ground ginger 1 cups apple cider vinegar 1/2 cups water Directions Cut plums in half, off of the pit. Cook all the ingredients together for 15 minutes in a large Kettle (non-aluminum). Cool. Puree very finely in a food processor. Store in refrigerator. Makes 7 cups.  Recipe may be doubled. Need more plum recipes? Why not check out these from our Recipe and Techniques forum! Tangy Plum Barbeque Sauce and Syrup (2-in-1!) - perfect for the lazy epicurean Plum Good Syrup Queen of Pie's Strawberry Rhubarb Pie it's to die for! Try our Recipes and Techniques!

Water Deeply, Water Infrequently The summer is heating up. In many parts of the US, drought conditions and water rationing are threatening our garden sanctuaries. But there is good news for the informed gardener: weekly, deep watering are better for you plants and your water bill! Infrequent watering encourages the plants to grow their roots deep to seek moister soils. Watering thoroughly allows water to penetrate deeper layers of the soil, where it won't be able to evaporate but will be available for your plants. Deep watering also cuts down on weeds, because they have shallow roots! In the hot season, trees close to the house provides shading and cooling of the ambient temperatures, reducing the amount of energy needed for air conditioning and cooling. Find more Gardening Tips!

Thanks for reading! If you would like to let us know what you think of The Grapevine, contact us. We love hearing from you. To reward you for reading this far, we'll send you a Neighborhood Fruit sticker if you email us your address!