The Hidden Orchard

07/03/2026

You don’t have to run the whole harvest to make a difference.
Sometimes it’s the small things that make it all happen.

🍎 Contacting tree owners to schedule a harvest.
🍋‍🟩 Delivering equipment to and from a harvest.
🍋 Visiting a property to understand how many volunteers and equipment is needed.
🍐 Checking which of our charity partners can take the fruit and lock in a delivery time.
🍊 Letterbox dropping flyers spread the word about The Hidden Orchard.

That’s what our Harvest Helpers do. They take care of the practical bits around the edges so harvest days run smoothly and more fruit gets where it’s needed.

Choose one or two tasks you’re keen on and fit them around your schedule.

Small jobs. Big impact. 🍎

If you’d like to be part of that behind-the-scenes crew, leave a comment or send us a message so we can chat 😊

03/03/2026

Our harvest leader Laine organised a small but lovely local harvest a few weeks back 😍

Our dedicated volunteers were able to take 10kg of crabapples from Libby's tree before the birds got to them. Libby is still working her way through a bumper harvest from 2 years ago that she made into jelly 😋🍎

Some of the harvest was divided between volunteers and the rest was donated to Food is Free and dropped off at the Ballarat East Community Garden.

02/03/2026

Our volunteers worked hard to harvest pears and nectarines in between rainclouds yesterday. Almost 90kg of fruit was saved and shared! What a mammoth effort. Thank you to Marianne for organising the harvest, the volunteers for their help, and the tree owner for sharing their trees with us! 🍐

24/02/2026

Ever noticed how quickly fruit can go from “almost ready” to “completely gone”? 🍎🐦

We’ve had a few recent harvests where the fruit looked great… but by the time harvest day rolled around, the birds had already had a proper feast. It doesn’t take long, and if they're still on the tree, it's fair game!

At The Hidden Orchard, we’d much rather plan a little early than arrive a little late. If your tree’s starting to turn, or you're not too sure when they'll be ripe, send us a message and we can put you in touch with a harvest leader. Let’s make sure as much fruit as possible ends up shared with people (and maybe just a little bit for the birds). 🌿

Send a message to learn more

23/02/2026

Another wonderful harvest completed! Last week, a group of dedicated volunteers and our Harvest Leader Carlos picked 78kg of pears! We also had some delightful young helpers join in on the fun. The weather was perfect and we were finished in an hour. The lovely old tree is so high that we had to leave the top layer for the birds. 🐦‍⬛

Thank you to volunteers for helping to tidy up all the equipment, carry boxes to the car and distribute the fruit.

The owner generously donated their share, allowing us to distribute more fruit to the community. The full harvest was shared between the volunteers, the two Food is Free tables at the Central and Ballarat East community gardens, and the Community Kitchen at Ballarat Neighbourhood Centre

10/02/2026

Thank you to our wonderful harvest leaders Carmel and Jayne for organising this yellow plum harvest, and to our volunteers for their hard work!

This harvest was a little different to our usual events. Due to heavy bird pressure, the orchard owner requested an early harvest of her yellow plums. As expected with an early pick, around 50% of the fruit was underripe, and the overall yield was modest.

With the help of our fantastic volunteers, 15 kg was harvested in total —
• 8 kg donated to the The Salvation Army Australia Cafe@102 to be shared in the community
• 7 kg shared between three volunteers

Not every harvest is a bumper one, but every event supports orchard owners 🤝 reduces waste 🗑️ and strengthens our community 🌏 A big thank you to those who gave their time and effort. Your help is always appreciated. 🙌

There's a few harvests happening in the next week, we'd love for you to join us! Check out the The Hidden Orchard Volunteers page for more details, or sign up on our website to hear about future harvests!

10/02/2026

We still have 2 spots left for this crab apple harvest on Thursday! Reach out if you're keen to join us 💪 Not sure what to do with crab apples? This link has some great ideas like crab apple jelly, lemonade and paste! Do you have any tried and true crab apple recipes?
https://sallywise.com.au/2011/03/02/crabapples-the-not-so-humble-fruit/

Our harvest leader Laine is hosting a crab apple harvest in Ballarat Central on Thursday! If you're a registered volunteer, check your emails or the The Hidden Orchard Volunteers group for details on how to reserve your spot.

Not signed up as a volunteer yet? Fill out the form on our website to register and hear about future harvests! https://hiddenorchard.org/get-involved/volunteers/

08/02/2026

Our harvest leader Laine is hosting a crab apple harvest in Ballarat Central on Thursday! If you're a registered volunteer, check your emails or the The Hidden Orchard Volunteers group for details on how to reserve your spot.

Not signed up as a volunteer yet? Fill out the form on our website to register and hear about future harvests! https://hiddenorchard.org/get-involved/volunteers/

31/01/2026

How are your fruit trees looking? 🌿 We've had a hot couple of weeks here in Ballarat, but a little bit of cooler weather is coming our way 🙏 how has your garden coped with the heat? If you'd like a hand picking fruit, just reach out and we can arrange a harvest! Remember to get in touch before the fruit is too ripe so we can make sure we get there before the birds do 🐦‍⬛🦜

20/01/2026

Our first harvest of 2026 is under our belt! 🥳 A huge thank you to our wonderful volunteers for an outstanding plum harvest. Everyone worked together so well, showing great teamwork and care throughout the pick.

It was especially lovely to see the children involved. They were well supervised, respectful, and worked beautifully alongside the adults, making the day a real pleasure.

An impressive 108 kg of fruit was collected, with over one-third delivered to Food Is Free tables around Ballarat, helping ensure the harvest reached the wider community. 🧺

Thank you also to everyone who stayed on to help load ladders, buckets, and equipment into the ute at the end of the harvest — your help made pack-up quick and smooth and is very much appreciated.

Another great example of community spirit in action.

How are your fruit trees looking? Get in touch if you'd like a hand in harvesting this summer! ☀️

19/01/2026

Our very first plum harvest of 2026 is running tomorrow at 1pm! 🌳 There are still a few spots available if you'd like to sign up. If you're a registered volunteer, check your emails or The Hidden Orchard Volunteers group for the password.

If you're not yet registered, you can do so on our website to hear about future harvests!

Eventbrite - Jayne Barclay 0412 629 568 presents A Bounty of Plums - Tuesday, 20 January 2026 in Ballarat Central, VIC. Find event and ticket information.

24/12/2025

Merry Christmas and happy holidays to everyone celebrating today. 💚🌲 The Hidden Orchard committee got together for an end of year picnic at the gardens earlier this month to celebrate the efforts of 2025. We're so grateful for our harvest leaders, volunteers and tree owners who have contributed throughout the year! The summer harvest season is ramping up and we're looking forward to helping harvest more fruit in the new year 🫶🎈🍑