Edhat Reader
We have a lot of fruit trees in our yard, mainly orange and tangerine varietals. Whenever they produce an abundance, we leave a full basket on our gate for neighbors to take some.
Here is a brief reminder to my Santa Barbara neighbors regarding common sense and courtesy:
- Please do not take all of the oranges at once. We leave out 10-20 every day, there is enough for everyone. Take a few and come back the next day.
- Please do not peel the oranges at my gate and leave the peels there. Same with the stems.
- Please do not open the gate and help yourself to our yard and trees. Knock on the door, ask, politely, and we’ll always say yes.
I’m not putting my address or neighborhood here because this should apply to everyone. I’m hoping this only happens to me, but this has become tiresome to try and do something kind and end up cleaning up a mess and dealing with inconsiderate behavior.
We had a neighbor who would wait until we put a new fruit and veggie haul out, they’d walk over with a big bag and empty everything into their bag and walk home. Some people..
Do you know if this neighbor was financially secure? At least one can assume s/he was consuming the produce. So many people seem inclined just to grab “free” stuff and then let it go bad.
A reasonable question. However, my neighbor is the kind of guy who retired early, has millions in the bank, and still goes to the foodbank because he feels he deserves it.
Man, that sucks. You can’t pick your neighbors. I’d meet them at the mailbox if it was me and tell ‘em to look elsewhere for handouts.
We’ve left out various homegrown veggies and fruits in front of our place for the last few years and it’s gratifying that folks come and get them.
Thanks for this. I have lemons to give away but will not put them out near my house because I know some people take that as permission to come in the yard and pick more. People are annoying.
You can always donate to the Foodbank if you have overflow and get too annoyed by the inconsiderates.
No good deed goes unpunished…
So kind of you to be generous. If only all people could be thoughtful.
Several years ago, someone came to my fully loaded, lovely orange tree at night and took every piece of fruit. It happened again the next year. I stopped fertilising, watering and keepint the gophers away from it. It’s dead and will be hauled away. I wasn’t stingy about sharing with neighbors and friends, but since I don’t get the benefit of my own produce, I won’t grow it. I thought about spraying a blue dot on every orange so it couldn’t be sold as some farmer’s market, but I don’t think that was the problem.
OP: You would do better to put a sign out along with your fruit. I’d have the sign in English and Spanish. (Or perhaps you’ve already tried signage?) I’m pretty sure the people who take every last bit of FREE fruit and/or like to steal fruit off trees are not reading EdHat. Pretty sure those same people aren’t reading NextDoor either.
No, Basic, D**lie, Ch*lf, Jim B*ll, C**stwatch, et. al. ARE reading EdHat.
I commiserate with all of you. I once had my persimmon tree picked clean, in a GATED front yard. All one has to do is knock and ask.