At the end of each season, POP sends out a survey to all of our orchard partners. We ask what they value and what they want. We learn about their experiences, successes, and challenges. We learn about yields, how the harvest was used, and how people used the orchard space. Partners share stories and help us understand how POP can best support them. These surveys inform our plan for the coming season and help keep our programs responsive and evolving.

1. Survey Participation + Organizational dynamics

In 2024, POP added 2 new orchard sites to our list of partners: CommUnity Garden at the Creek and Sanctuary Farm. In all, 54 of 70 POP partners (77%) participated in our annual Partner Survey in November and December, including 44 of 57 full partners (77%) and 10 of 14 supported partners (71%). New partners or those who have been out of contact were sent an abbreviated survey, and we received 9 responses to our request to “reconnect” (a 50% response rate).

According to survey responses, 14 of our orchard partners are going through staff or organizational transitions. This translates to 20% of partners overall (26% of those who responded to the full survey). This is a large increase compared to the year prior when only 8 partners reported transitions in their staff or primary volunteers. The biggest challenges involve stable funding that can support staff and programs, with other commonly named problems including land security, water access, horticultural knowledge, and impacts of climate change.

POP’s equity-centered approach to this work means offering additional support and resource distribution to disinvested communities and the partners serving them, recognizing that BIPOC-led groups often receive less funding than white-led organizations. Out of 54 responses, 24 partners (50%) reported having BIPOC ( Black, Indigenous, or Person of Color) leadership. Out of 48 responses, 27 (56%) of our partners reported having paid staff on site. 

2. Orchard Value

Orchards can provide many different benefits, and communities engage with them in many different ways. POP strives to be responsive and dynamic in how we support our many partners and their diverse needs. The data confirms that POP orchards offer a variety of benefits and opportunities that community partners engage with in diverse ways.

We asked partners: How important was each aspect of the orchard to the community this past year, on a scale of 1 “Not Important” to 4 “Very Important.” 

We asked about 5 aspects: Food Production and Distribution, Beauty and Neighborhood Greening, Gathering and Community Space, Learning Opportunities, and Community Health and Nutrition.

44 partners responded to this question.

The most commonly selected as “Very Important” were Environmental Impact (26), Learning Opportunities (25), and Beauty and Neighborhood Greening (24). Gathering and Community Space had 21 instances. Food Production and Distribution was the least common response, with 15 instances, and Community Health and Nutrition was in the same range with 16 instances.

Only two options received multiple responses of “Not Important.” Food Production and Distribution was most commonly identified as “Not Important” with 6 instances. Community Health and Nutrition had 3 instances of “Not Important”. However, it’s important to note that a number of the responses in this category are from orchards that aren’t able to produce food because they are still too young or because of some other specific situation.

We also asked partners: Tell us one story from this year that illustrates the value of the orchard to you or your community. 

The vast majority of stories talked about the power of orchards to bring people together and build community across generations and cultures. They mentioned the value of coming together to learn and work around food and the land, and many partners were particularly excited about youth engagement. 

This highlights that the importance and benefits of orchards are not only diverse, but often complementary and intersectional. The stories show how community, food, health and wellness, nature, learning, and beautification intersect.

Historic Fair Hill shared: “The orchard serves as a vital community hub, offering both educational workshops and access to fresh produce in a food desert. Recent events like the Pawpaw Ice Cream workshop, which attracted 40 attendees, and the Trifoliate Orange workshop, with 35 participants, demonstrate its role in fostering local learning and sustainability while addressing food insecurity.”

The Pentridge Children’s Garden highlighted their successful year. “Kicked off by a three-day “Restorative Mental Health Training” with the leadership of Deep Space Mind 215,  the “Land and Wellness Summer Series” programming launched successfully. Programs included facilitated educational workshops like, soil building; canning; herbal infusions; mural planning; the art of nature; oyster shell usage and others. The 2024 season ended with the creation of a new PCG Land and Stewart Council with intergenerational BIPOC and LGBTQ community members.”

“I was able to take a second grade class from the local elementary to the garden three times over the last year to learn about compost, seed saving, and insects. It was wonderful to see them outside digging in the dirt and learning about the infinite potential in a seed. “I’m rich with seeds” I heard one kid yell as he pocketed his envelope full of amaranth,” was a response from one partner who preferred to not to be publicly named.

“My community is becoming very diverse. Many non English speaking people are moving in. The orchard space is a place for us to connect despite the language barrier,” said a partner at South Philadelphia High School. 

3. Community Involvement

A set of questions were asked to assess the number of people involved with POP-supported orchards.  Surveys reported:

• About 245 people participated regularly (at least monthly) in orchard care throughout the city in 2024. 
• Approximately 2,170 people participated at least once in orchard care in 2024. These numbers were driven by high participation from a few partners with recurring volunteer days. Sankofa Farm at Bartram’s, Historic Fair Hill, and Weavers Way each reported hundreds of volunteers, with most sites reporting far lower participation. Overall, volunteer participation remains lower than pre-pandemic numbers, despite there being great need.
• A plurality of orchard partners (18 of 44, or 40.9%) reported that organized maintenance was taking place once a month, and overall 70.5% of partners carried out organized work days at least monthly with some reporting weekly or bi-weekly visits. The remainder reported these happening quarterly or even less frequently. Pest and disease monitoring tended to take place at least once per month for 77% of survey respondents, with around 41% monitoring at least weekly (a decrease from 53% when we last asked this question in 2022).
• Over 7,000 people tasted something grown in a POP supported orchard in 2024, compared to 5,600 people in 2023. This increase was due in part to POP holding more “open orchard” events at the Learning Orchard at the Woodlands, with visitors being able to sample fruit as they passed through. One partner shared that “Community members openly harvest the fruit from our trees – we often hear about how the fruits are enjoyed and appreciated.”  
• The most people since 2019 were reported to have used a partner orchard as a gathering space: 8,360, an increase from 2023 estimates of 8,062. 
• Nearly 4,150 people participated in educational programs at orchards in 2024, the highest number we’ve seen reported since pre-pandemic! This was an increase compared to 3,661 people in 2023, and exciting to see that it was around double the number of people participating in educational programs in 2021 and 2022.

Some sites shared stories about how neighbors used and enjoyed their orchards in 2024. At Pentridge Children’s Garden, the garden and orchard offered space for “mental and physical wellness, restorative circles, story-telling, performance art.” The Walnut Hill Community Farm says their “orchard is beautiful and provides some lovely shade during the summer!” At the Fernhill Food Forest, they “have regular weekly community days for working in the garden and collect[ing] harvests that are ready.  These times serve to connect neighbors to each other and the land and many neighbors of all ages and abilities levels have expressed their joy in coming to this space together. Some neighbors have planted their first seeds or put their hands into the soil, then watched in amazement as these seedlings grow into food producing plants. Some neighbors enjoy visiting the food forest from a nearby bench to watch the bird sightings and the littlest folks enjoy seeing the bee and butterfly visitors or digging in the ground to find worms while their parents help maintain the space.”

4. Distribution

Distribution varies across our many partner orchards, in accordance with the group’s mission and priorities. The large majority of our partners said they don’t track their harvest, so this year we reframed this question to be less precise but hopefully more accurate.

The majority (about 60%) of the harvest was distributed for free to the community (direct harvesting, program participants, mutual aid, emergency food centers, etc). 18 partners reported that All of their harvest was used in this way. Another 7 said Most of it was, and 3 said Half of it was. Only 6 respondents said None of their harvest was distributed in this way.

Very little of the produce was sold. Only 2 partners responded that Half of their harvest was sold and 2 more responded Some, with the vast majority of partners reporting that None of their harvest was sold.

When asked about why harvest went unused, the most common response was that the “Harvest was out of reach”, with 11 instances. There were 9 instances of “Did not have time/capacity to harvest or distribute.” 6 respondents said that they “Missed the harvest window.” 4 mentioned pests, such as squirrels or birds. Only 1 mentioned disease.

5-7. Orchard Production

The Orchard Production section compiles and analyzes all of the data on the yield by plant types at the partner sites that participated in this survey. It is challenging to accurately compare yield between sites that are used in different ways by different partners, so all of the yield from all the sites was combined into production totals to create an overall image of how orchards across Philadelphia performed this year.

Production Totals

Overall, total reported orchard production in 2024 (8634 lbs) was notably less than reported the previous year (11,733 lbs in 2023), but still higher than any other previous years (6264 lbs being the previous high in 2021).  Partner sites vary greatly in scale and maturity, but their current production can be divided into broad ranges: 

• 0-25 lbs: 11 sites (compared to 12 sites last year)
• 26-50 lbs.: 9 sites  (compared to 7 sites last year)
• 51-100 lbs.:  8 sites  (compared to 3 sites last year)
• 101-299 lbs.: 6 sites  (compared to 12 sites last year)
• 300-500 lbs.: 7 sites  (compared to 6 sites last year)
• 500-1000 lbs.: 3 sites  (compared to 3 sites last year)
• 1000-2000 lbs.: 2 sites  (compared to 3 sites last year)
• 2000- 4000 lbs.: 0 sites  (compared to 1 site last year)

Production Challenges

Some of the lower yields compared to 2023 can be attributed to the alternate bearing tendencies of some crops (Asian pears in particular), but we believe the weather was also a factor. 2024 featured a cold snap in early spring and drought-like conditions in the summer and fall. The late cold snap in April killed off many of the tree blossoms that were in bloom at that time, especially Apricots and Japanese Plums, ruining much of the fruit set. 

The severe drought this past summer and fall also made for a tough growing season. Technically, the rain total from April-September was “normal,” but over half of the rain (60 percent) only occurred on 10 days within the 6 month period. And seven of those rainy days were within a week of one another. The fall was even worse. Philadelphia experienced a record-breaking drought it hadn’t undergone since 1874, with no rain at all for 29 days in October. This had a negative impact on many of the orchards and farms in the city. The drought, in addition to the excessive heat, created stressful conditions for many of the crops, reducing plant growth, fruit quality, and fruit size for late season crops, but we also expect to see some possible negative impacts on next year’s crops as well.  The excessively high heat and no rainfall made for an increased burden in watering, as well as challenging working conditions. 

In terms of pest and disease pressures, fire blight was found in more trees this year than in previous years. Luckily, Plum curculio seemed to be less prevalent compared to last year and the lanternfly seems to have mostly naturalized in the region. Plums and cherries were largely affected by brown rot this past year. There were many challenges with squirrel, bird, and groundhog predation on the fruit that did manage to grow. 

Young vs Mature Orchard Yields

Every few years, we attempt to collect data from our partners that allows us to see the trends of harvest yield per tree for both young and mature orchards. The trees producing the most abundant fruit yield are consistent year to year – paw paws, figs, and persimmons. 

For young orchards (up to 5 years old), figs have given us the highest return per fruit tree by far, followed by paw paws and persimmons. 

For mature orchards (6 years plus) persimmons showed the highest return per fruit tree, followed closely by paw paws, with figs coming in third. 

Recorded Harvests

Pounds totals from fruit and nut trees based on reported yields are listed in order from highest to lowest yield:

• Paw paws: 2029.67 lbs (1638.69-2023, 1818-2022, 1799.1-2021, 311.5-2020, 539.8-2019)
• Figs: 1131.85 lbs (1206.595- 2023, 587.8-2022, 736.1-2021, 403.5-2020, 184.5-2019) 
• Persimmons: 835.81 lbs (724.525-2023, 332.6-2022, 410-2021, 24.2-2020, 233-2019) 
• Sweet cherries: 536 lbs (614.25-2023, 78-2022, 247-2021, 154.25-2020, 218-2019)
• Pie cherries: 500.98 lbs (848.4-2023, 80.65-2022,  204.5-2021, 144.5-2020, 236.2-2019) 
• Asian pears: 500.68 lbs (1664.34-2023, 114.6-2022, 357.5-2021, 143.6-2020, 335.9-2019) 
• Peaches: 464.5 lbs (355.88-2023, 97-2022, 425-2021, 124- 2020, 254-2019) 
• Apples: 323.05 lbs (470.78-2023, 216-2022, 194.33-2021, 91.25-2020, 130.5-2019)
• European pears: 219.37 lbs (152.5-2023, 39-2022, 278-2021, 35.6-2020, 137.1-2019)
• Plums: 209.34 lbs (978.79-2023, 24-2022, 456.4-2021, 205.6-2020, 194.5-2019) 
• Juneberries: 92.1 lbs (80-2023, 34-2022, 26.25-2021, 20.25 -2020, 86.6-2019) 
• Mulberries: 89 lbs (175-2023, 68.8-2022, 89-2021, 35.5 -2020, 29-2019) 
• Hardy almonds: 35 lbs (143-2023, 5-2022, 40-2021, 23-2020, 15.4-2019)
• Medlars: 10 lbs (65-2023, 0-2022, 10-2021, 5-2020, 4-2019) 
• Jujubes: 7.2 lbs (19.6-2023, 0-2023, 7-2021, 2.02-2020, 14.5-2019)
• Chestnuts: 5.2 lbs (143-2023, 44-2022, 50-2021, 0-2020, 5-2019) 
• Apricots: 5 lbs (15-2023, 3-2022,  27-2021, 6-2020, 60-2019)
• Che: 3.62 lbs (no harvests recorded in previous years)
• Hazelnuts: 0 lbs (40-2023, 0-2022, 46-2021, 11-2020, 90.25-2019)

Analysis of results

• Many of the fruit yields decreased, except for paw paws, persimmons, peaches, European pears, and juneberries. Some significant decreases were actually among the easier-to-grow fruits: pie cherries, Asian pears, plums, chestnuts, and hazelnuts. Alternate bearing was a factor, as well as late cold snap killing many of the plum blossoms, which resulted in smaller fruit yield. Fire blight was more of a problem this year compared to last year, clearly affecting the Asian pears, as well as apples. The nut trees are also alternate bearing (meaning they produce a big harvest one year and are followed by a smaller harvest the following year) and had a larger harvest last year, so many of them produced very little this year. 

Poundage from berries, shrubs, and vines based on reported yields are listed in order from highest to lowest yield:

• Blackberries: 429.78 lbs (714.83-2023, 344.45-2022, 374.75-2021, 251-2020, 147.6-2019)
• Strawberries: 313.62 lbs (547.19-2023, 197.24-2022, 46-2021, 189-2020, 264-2019) 
• Raspberries: 230.22 lbs  (245.121-2023, 124-2022, 236.5-2021, 138.6-2020, 167.3-2019) 
• Hardy kiwis: 115.5 lbs (47.7-2023, 13.2-2022, 170-2021, 31.3-2020, 32-2019) 
• Grapes: 110.49 lbs (217.75-2023, 88.19-2022, 43.5-2021, 61-2020, 197.8-2019) 
• Goumis: 88.246 lbs (73.41-2023, 43.24-2022, 26.9-2021, 12.25-2020, 10.9-2019)
• Maypop: 62.34 lbs (41.55-2023)
• Blueberries: 60.54 lbs (111.8-2023, 61.35-2022, 56.45-2021, 39-2020, 51-2019) 
• Gooseberries: 54.17 lbs (20.49-2023, 16.7-2022, 15.5 -2021, 10.6-2020, 38-2019)
• Currants: 38.12 lbs (29.32-2023, 18.8-2022, 25.7-2021, 5.25-2020, 17.75-2019) 
• Nanking cherries: 36.55 lbs (55.73-2023, 0-2022, 11-2021, 8-2020, 65.1-2019)
• Elderberries: 26.92 lbs (114.96-2023, 91.35-2022, 79-2021, 32-2020, 42.5-2019) 
• Pomegranates: 12 lbs (5-2023)
• Chokeberries: 11.6 lbs (64.47-2023)

Analysis of results:

• A little more than half of the berries, shrubs, and vines decreased in yield compared to last year,  with the exception of hardy kiwi, goumi, maypop, gooseberry, currant, and pomegranate. This is not surprising, in the context of the severe drought in 2024, the species that produced more this year are mostly drought-tolerant. Elderberries had a problematic season, for rather unknown reasons. Chokeberries went down in yield numbers quite dramatically from the previous year, likely attributed to the drought, which often leads to increased bird pressure from acquiring extra needed hydration from the fruit. 

Herbs and Perennial Vegetables 

The yields of herbs and perennial vegetables went largely unrecorded. Though the only perennial vegetables that were grown and harvested at POP partner sites– according to the survey respondents– were cucamelon and sunchokes.  A wide variety of herbs were grown at POP partner sites. Oregano, fennel, mint, thyme, and lemon balm were grown at the highest frequency. The ways in which the herbs were harvested and used range widely and include: volunteers harvesting at workdays, sold at farmers markets, neighbors harvesting at their own discretion, sent to school distributions, donated to emergency food services, incorporated in potlucks, used for educational classes and workshops, and processed into tea, tinctures, and dried herbs.

Many partners expressed interest in learning how to grow and use common weeds and flowering perennials like mugwort, comfrey, rhubarb, and anise hyssop. Based on the survey, it appears that the majority of the sites want to diversify their production. 

8. Orchard Challenges and Needs

In the past, we have asked partners to report back on which specific pest and disease issues they faced and which were the most challenging. However, since pest and disease issues can be quite difficult to assess and identify, tasking partners with identifying challenges to this amount of specificity did not provide POP with a lot of useful information on how to improve our support of partners. 

This year we asked partners to estimate what percentage of their crop was lost to pest and disease issues (None, Less than Half, More than Half, Uncertain). 

None – 32%, Less than Half – 34%, More than half – 20.5%, and Uncertain – 13.5%

What percentage of harvest was lost to birds, squirrels, or other non-insect pests?

None – 11.4%, Less than half – 45.5%, More than half – 25%, Uncertain – 18%. 

Specific Challenges: 

Stone fruit (peaches, nectarines, apricots, cherries, plums) were called out as the most challenging to manage for pest and disease issues including brown rot, peach leaf curl, borer, and oriental fruit moth. Some partners tried using kaolin clay (infrequently) to manage pest issues with some success, more with cherries than plums. 

Squirrels and birds. Squirrel predation is more severe for orchards that are surrounded by tall trees (squirrel habitat). Apples, Asian Pears, and Peaches were noted specifically as targets for squirrels. Elderberries were mentioned as a target for birds. 

Equipment: Not enough irrigation/water getting to the trees during drought.  Fruit out of reach. 

Education: Public harvesting fruit before it reaches  maturity.

Given the challenges, what might make next year better?

Increase Ecological Orchard Practices: Focus on maintaining clean orchard floor, companion plants to attract beneficial insects, more frequent monitoring of orchards, New varieties with fewer pest and disease issues. 

Equipment: irrigation, pole harvesters, scale, mating disruptors, signage about harvest readiness

New Approaches for squirrel and bird predation: netting the whole tree

Education: Support at the onset of pest season. Class/conversation on impact of climate change on perennial agriculture and how to navigate.

9. Orchard Education Efforts

We asked partners to rate their own skill level in core orchard care areas. This is the first time we asked this question, with the goal of measuring educational impact over time and helping direct where to focus educational efforts.

Fruit tree pruning: No experience: 4.5%, Beginner: 34.1%, Intermediate: 45.5%, Advanced: 15.9%

Pruning Bramble: No experience: 6.8%, Beginner: 38.6%, Intermediate: 38.6%, Advanced: 20.5%

Soil Health: No experience: 6.8%, Beginner: 25%, Intermediate: 54.5%, Advanced: 13.6%

Sheet Mulching: No experience: 11.4%, Beginner: 9.1%, Intermediate: 38.6%, Advanced: 40.9%

Weed Identification: No experience: 4.5%, Beginner: 9.1%, Intermediate: 43.2%, Advanced: 43.2%

Thinning Fruit: No experience: 9.1%, Beginner: 24.2%, Intermediate: 45.5%, Advanced: 21.2%

Pest/Disease Management: No experience: 9.1%, Beginner: 52.3%, Intermediate: 36.4%, Advanced: 2.3%

How and When to Harvest: No experience: 4.5%, Beginner: 20.5%, Intermediate: 45.5%, Advanced: 29.5%

Post Harvest Handle/Storage: No experience: 5.8%, Beginner: 29.5%, Intermediate: 38.6%, Advanced: 25%

Value Added Products: No experience: 22.7%, Beginner: 34.1%, Intermediate: 27.3%, Advanced: 15.9%

We asked partners what challenges they faced in being able to improve their orchard skills. The most common challenges were:  77% Time Constraints, 25% Limited opportunities to practice, 14% lack of tools or equipment.

We released 3 major new or updated resources in 2024. We asked partners if they had heard of these resources and if they were useful. 

Pest and Disease Video Series: 45.5% Didn’t know about it, 27.3% Really Helpful 

Common Pest and Disease Monthly Action Plans : 38.6% Didn’t know about it, 31.8% Really Helpful 

Updated Pruning Guide: 31.8% Didn’t know about it, 31.8% Really Helpful 

In 2025, we are piloting bringing the POPCORE series fully back to in-person and held exclusively for POP partners and LOVs, in an effort to recenter supporting our partners through education and training. These trainings will be coupled with food provided by  small locally owned businesses, resource distribution to partners, and space to share knowledge and experiences collectively.

Partners with Youth Programming

(18 partners)

• 25% of our partners have youth garden crews:
  • 8 with year round programs (Sankofa, Lea Elementary, Pentridge Children’s Garden, FNC Community Farm, Walnut Hill Community Farm, Historic Fairhill, Norris Square Neighborhood Project, VIllage of the Arts)
  •  3 with summer only (Share, Awbury, MBC). 
• 3 host youth from a partnering organizations (Chester Avenue Community Garden, POP Learning Orchard, Fernhill Food Forest)
• 4 have youth programs that don’t involve orchards or gardens (Freedom Greens and Gardens, FDR, Overbrook School for the Blind, Get Fresh Daily)

We asked these partners if they would be interested in bringing their youth to the POP Learning Orchard, having a joint workday at their orchard, and/or bringing the youth to a POP workshop on orchard care or harvest use. 

• Interested in Field Trip to POP Learning Orchard (14): Sankofa, Lea Elementary, Share, Overbrook School for the Blind, Pentridge Childrens Garden, Monumental Baptist Church, Chester Ave, FNC, Saul HS, Walnut Hill, Village of the Arts, Fairhill, Norris Square Neighborhood Project, Get Fresh Daily
• Interested in Youth Orchard Workday at Partner Site (9): Lea Elementary, Share, Pentridge, Chester Ave, FNC, Village of the Arts, NSNP, Fairhill, Get Fresh Daily
• Interested in Youth Workshop (14): Sankofa, Lea Elementary, Share, Pentridge, FDR, Chester Ave, FNC, Woodford Mansion, Saul HS, Walnut Hill, Village of the Arts, Fairhill, NSNP, Get Fresh Daily

In 2024, we hosted 4 youth field trips to PLOW (3 of them partners). In 2025, we aim to host at least 10 field trips, all to orchard partner youth programs. 

In 2024, we focused 11 site visits on partner youth garden programs across 3 partner sites  – NSNP (7) , Fairhill (3), Village of the Arts (1). In 2025, we aim to focus at least 15 site visits on working with youth garden programs across 10 partner sites. 

POP offers workshops both in orchard care (10 in 2024) and harvest education (15 in 2024). In 2024 there was a focus on flowers (Astro-herbalism, Dandelion, Flower arranging with edibles, Pinch Pots). In an effort to build space to get to know each other, we had food at 13 workshops in 2024.

In 2024, we hosted 12 workshops at 10 different partner sites, 4 at the POP Learning Orchard, 3 virtually.

10. Lead Orchard Volunteers (LOV)

The POP Lead Orchard Volunteer Program connects partner sites with dedicated volunteers trained to provide consistent, long-term involvement with their orchard while expanding their knowledge and hands-on experience in orchard care. The growth and training of LOV’s are supported by POP.

During the 2023 season, POP staff recognized that there was room for the LOV program to expand, making room for more structured workdays, and opportunities for LOVs to connect and gather and incorporate more interest-specific educational opportunities in the program. Below is feedback gathered from both our partners and Lead Orchard Volunteers on their experience in the LOV Program during the 2024 Season. 

In 2024 POP had 38 LOVs (up from 29 in 2023) at 21 sites (up from 18 sites in 2023). 

These were the 21 sites that hosted our Lead Orchard Volunteers during the 2024 season:  The FNC Learning Farm at 8th and Poplar, SHARE/ Nice Roots Farm, POP Learning Orchard at the Woodlands (PLOW), Fernhill Food Forest, Awbury Arboretum, Hamilton ES, Hort Center, Kleinlife, South Philadelphia Older Adult Center (SPOAC), Bartram’s Garden, Monumental Baptist Church, Carousel House, Cobbs Creek Community Environmental Center, Mill Creek Urban Farm, Norris Square Neighborhood Project, Pastorious Community Gardens and Tulpehaken Station Orchard, Penn Park Orchard, Saint Benard Community Garden, Union Baptist Church- Garden of Eden, Wyck House and the Wissahickon Environmental Center.

In 2024, when asked if partners were interested in having a Lead Orchard Volunteer next season:

13 partner sites (30%) stated that they already had LOVs and weren’t looking for more. 6 partner sites (14%)  stated that they were interested in an LOV and already had a volunteer or community member who would be a good fit. 11 partner sites (25%)  stated that they were interested in having an LOV and would like support from POP in recruiting one. 6 partner sites (14%)  stated that they needed more information about the LOV program and wanted to hear more about this through a POP staff member. 8 partner sites (18%) stated that they were not interested in engaging with an LOV. 

In 2024, when asked if partners host other volunteers in their orchard:

4 partner sites (9%) stated that they host large groups at least several times a year and have a core group of volunteers participating in weekly or monthly volunteer workdays. 8 partner sites (18%) stated that they host large groups at least several times a year. 1 partner site (2%) stated that they host large groups at least several times a year but rarely. 10 partner sites (23%)stated they have a core group of volunteers participating in weekly or monthly volunteer days. Out of those 10, 1 partner site (10%)  expressed that in addition to this, they would also like to start having volunteer community workdays. Another partner site (10%)stated having a long list that they tap into for the major volunteer workdays and a core group of folks they call on for mini workdays, and the last partner site (10%) of the original 10 stated they almost always have 2 LOVs in addition to 1-10 volunteers per workday. 9 partner sites (20%) stated that they rarely host other volunteers at their orchard and out of that 9, 1 partner (11%) added that they were hopeful that more volunteers would come out this summer. 10 partner sites (23%)  stated that they do not have volunteers come out to their orchards. 2 partner sites (5%) did not respond to this question. 

In 2024, when Lead Orchard Volunteers were asked to rate the value of the LOV program, this is how they rated it: (Scale from 1– 4 |  1= Not at all –  4= Very)

Here are several testimonies from our 2024 Lead Orchard Volunteers that further illustrate the value of the LOV program as it has impacted the LOVs and/or their community. 

“Our LOV Abby was able to organize the distribution of the fruit we did harvest. Otherwise the reach would not have been as broad. She also learned a ton of information this year about care and maintenance and is assembling POP materials to be available to other volunteers who are interested in maintenance.” – Site Partners at The FNC Learning Farm at 8th and Poplar 

“Learning to design food forests to scale at the workshop is one of the first things that comes to mind. We are planning to create more food forests throughout our 50 acre park so this skill makes me a valuable asset to our planning team. It was also amazing to connect with other volunteers and be a resource for one another.” – Mekia Elizabeth, Fernhill Food Forest

“One orchard workday, Sharon invited me to share what I knew about mugwort, which we had just weeded. It was really special to be invited to pass on the knowledge that I have been gathering through herbal study over the past several years. The LOV program staff were also very welcoming to me as a new orchardist and really empowered me to envision myself learning new skills and contributing to my next community as I prepare to leave Philadelphia. I hope to continue learning from POP’s YouTube channel and applying my skills after I move.” – Micah Li, Penn Park Orchard/ Herb Hub

“Personally, I’ve learned an incredible amount in my first year as an LOV. Working with plants has always been an interest, and POP has helped me gain concrete skills to depeen my understanding. There were also countless moments where community members would pop in during our work days to ask what we were growing. Working with Mill Creek definitely made me feel more connected to my neighborhood.” – LOV from 2024 Season

“There’s not just one story but sort of a reoccurring theme is that in the mornings when people are running by or on lil walks thru the Woodlands. Sometimes they stop and ask about the orchard and just seeing how many elders and different folks get so excited about its existence and take some time to wander thru the trees and marvel at the abundance they didn’t know was in their neighborhood. It’s a particularly sweet piece of being part of helping the orchard to thrive.” – Roman Warlick, PLOW

“First off, none of the farmers at this farm have extensive tree knowledge so your training has been invaluable! The cherry trees are the big driver for community interaction. Daily, we had people come by asking about the cherries. They’d get anywhere from a handful of cherries to several pints. A huge construction project was going on across the street for the entirety of last year and it was super easy to feel animosity toward the project. The sharing of cherries and raspberries (and lots of veggies as well) with construction workers on break truly helped all of us maintain relationships with them and put a human face on a fairly disruptive project…

Story#2: As an education farm in a city, we have a lot of students who haven’t experienced a lot of the types of food we grow. Several times this year, during work/learning sessions, students would disappear and we’d find them standing by the raspberry bushes or cherry tree eating from the tree. What an incredible experience – to eat fruit you’ve not experienced before, directly from the source!” – Abby Fretz, FNC 8th and Poplar Farm

When an LOV joins the program the time commitment we ask of them includes a total of  4-6 hours per month on average, including 9 monthly orchard workdays per year at their designated sites (March through November plus a winter pruning day), and quarterly workshops, training, or meetings. When asked on average how much time they spent at their site in 2024, here’s how their time was broken down: 

• 6 (21%)  LOVs spent 0-2 hrs a month at their site
• 12 (43%) LOVs spent 3-5 hrs a month at their site 
• 9 (32%)  LOVs spent 6-10 hrs a month at their site 
• 1 (4%) LOVs spent. 10-15 hrs a month at their site

When asked what learning opportunities Lead Orchard Volunteers engaged in during the 2024 season: 

20 LOVs (71%) attended LOV Gatherings. 22 LOVs (79%) attended POP Workshops. 8 LOVs (29%) attended Orchard Workshop or training offered by a group other than POP. 14 LOVs (50%) watched recorded POPCORE workshops on YOUTUBE. 20 LOVs (71%) looked up information on POP’s resource page. 17 LOVs (61%) read articles on POP’s Blog. 16 LOVs (57%) read posts on POP’s Instagram. 12 LOVs (43%) read PHOG emails and 1 LOV (4%) selected ‘other’ but did not specify what learning opportunity they engaged in. 

We asked Lead Orchard Volunteers to rate their own skill level in core orchard care areas. This is the first time we asked this question, with the goal of measuring educational impact over time and helping direct where to focus educational efforts.

Assessing what needs to be done in the orchard: No Experience: 14%, Beginner: 32%, Intermediate: 54% 

Pruning fruit trees: No Experience: 4%, Beginner: 39%, Intermediate: 46%, Advanced: 11%

Pruning brambles: No Experience: 21%, Beginner: 25%, Intermediate: 39%.,  Advanced: 14%

Sheet Mulching: No Experience: 14%, Beginner: 11%, Intermediate: 29%,  Advanced: 46%

Weed Identification: No Experience: 7%, Beginner: 18%, Intermediate: 50%, Advanced: 25%

Thinning Fruit: No Experience: 4%, Beginner: 36%,  Intermediate: 43%,   Advanced: 18% 

Pest and Disease Management: No Experience: 11%, Beginner: 75%, Intermediate: 14%    

How and when to harvest fruits: No Experience: 4%, Beginner: 32%, Intermediate: 39%, Advanced: 28%

Post-harvest handling and storage:No Experience: 21%, Beginner: 21%, Intermediate: 39%, Advanced:18%

Processing harvest into value-added products like ice cream, jam, medicine, etc. : No Experience: 18%,   Beginner: 36%, Intermediate: 29%, Advanced: 19%

Leading volunteers: No Experience: 14%,  Beginner: 25%, Intermediate: 43%, Advanced: 18%

Giving tour of orchard: No Experience: 21%, Beginner: 14%, Intermediate: 32%, Advanced: 32%

When asked what challenges faced by LOVs were during the 2024 season: 

The most common challenges our Lead Orchard Volunteers experienced this season were drought and heat conditions as well as scheduling, mentioning conflicts with work obligations, and balancing out orchard time with personal time. Other challenges mentioned were not knowing how to streamline/ workdays at their sites. Some folks expressed needing clear expectations like specific tasks and timelines while working in the orchard, and an opportunity to consistently shadow or buddy up with someone who could show them the ropes. Some specific challenges noted were partner site leads transitioning away from their roles, lack of partner support, issues with securing volunteers for workdays, and some LOVs bearing more responsibility beyond what is being asked of them. Some more specific challenges listed were transportation, transitioning socially from working in a more online space to an in-person space, and figuring out how to better support the Herb Hub in our new LOV x Herb Hub partnership while staying hydrated while masking for COVID caution and community care. 

When asked what could be improved on for the 2025 Season: 

The most common suggestions that would improve our Lead Orchard Volunteers experience in 2025 were shadowing opportunities, more flexible times for volunteering/ workdays, and more organized and frequent communication, especially via online. Several folks specifically mentioned wanting to connect with and shadow LOVs at more active orchards. Although LOVs understand the timing of our workdays, some suggested weekend workdays to offer more flexibility for their schedules. Other suggestions included having better support at partner sites (although they understood that this is more of the responsibility of the partner), more orchard- related tasks, more volunteer opportunities, and being able to experiment more with the harvest and being able to take some of the harvest home to share with loved ones.

11. POP Performance / Organizational Improvement

This year we tried to find out what aspects of POP’s programs and service were most appreciated by our partners by asking them to rate them on a scale of 1 to 4.  For those partners completing the survey, POP maintenance support rated the highest (3.95 out of 4).  This was followed by Training and Mentorship through Work Days (3.66) and Workshops (3.65) with Educational Resources (3.59) close behind.  The lowest rating was for POP Community Events (3.46), which makes sense because only a few partners directly host or participate in those events.  As POP transitions towards a greater focus on educational support, it seems important to keep in mind that maintenance rated as the most appreciated service area.  

This section focuses on open-answer questions about POP’s support services, what is working well and how they can be improved going forward.  Some of the most common themes in response to “What do you value most about the support that POP provides?” were knowledge/guidance/expertise (20 responses); varied compliments for the POP team including responsive, accessible, supportive, professional, reliable, dedicated, etc (13);  in person visits and help with orchard maintenance (12); hands-on experiential learning opportunities (7); and connections/community.  Compared to the previous year, knowledge was mentioned more often and in person support mentioned less.  Some direct quotes: 

“The POP crew has been amazing, they coordinate  to come during our potlucks and help engage people to participate and learn about plants and the environment.” – Open Kitchen Sculpture Garden

“Support from the Philadelphia Orchard Project (POP) has been invaluable in reinforcing the mission of the Fair Hill Orchard, helping to foster a more sustainable, resilient community. POP’s guidance and resources have provided critical expertise in orchard management and community engagement, ensuring the orchard thrives as a resource for fresh produce, education, and environmental stewardship. Their commitment strengthens the connection between urban agriculture and local neighborhoods, empowering residents to take an active role in building a healthier future.” – Fairhill

“I love the POP crew! I appreciate their sincerity, attention, care. They are real partners.” – Get Fresh Daily

“We greatly value the dedication, professionalism and knowledge transfer the POP provides.” – Mill Creek Urban Farm

For “How can POP better support you and your orchard?”, the most common theme was that the partner already feels well supported or doesn’t need anything else (14 replies), followed by more shared work days (10); and more technical support with pest and disease management, especially stone fruits (3); more check-ins (3); help with LOV recruitment or support (2); and help communicating with site owner/leadership.  The request for more site support is something to consider as we are looking to transition towards less frequent shared work days.  Some direct quotes: 

“We feel supported! It’s been hard to figure out exactly what’s going on with the stone fruit,  and I think it would help to have a volunteer to come out in the summer right when the stone fruit is developing?” – Wyck

“You’ve been amazing!  More targeted check-ins with LOV (can be less frequently than monthly!) for specific challenges would be great. Equipment & planning for bigger projects like spraying  the cherry trees, (sprayer, info on the spray solution, etc.)” – FNC Poplar

“Getting a more clear sense of what is offered, what isn’t, when we should call you/when it’s on us, etc.” – NSNP Las Parcelas

The ‘Additional Comments or Questions’ section had a number of replies expressing gratitude (7) and a couple of specific requests.  Some direct quotes: 

“Thank you for all you do for our community and city!” – Overbrook school for the Blind

“Thank you for all you do and the ways you support orchards and urban green spaces around the city.” – Fernhill

This year, POP staff are planning individualized check-ins with all partners in February and March, to check back on survey answers as well as review a revised document outlining roles and expectations for both POP and the partner and setting goals for the year. 

12. Reconnecting Survey

In 2024, 8 partner sites completed our Reconnecting Partner Survey, a shorter survey intended for partners we hadn’t heard from in a while or that had undergone transitions that would make it challenging to complete the full survey.  The goal of this survey is to reconnect with lost or changing partners, hear more about the status of their orchards, and see what support they might want in the coming year.  

3 of the respondents were partners we hadn’t had much contact with last year, 2 were sites undergoing significant transitions, 2 were from partners that had challenges finding time for the full survey and 1 was from a brand new partner that didn’t have much to report yet.  Of the sites, 4 reported that their orchard was maintained by the partner staff; 3 by volunteers from the partner; and 1 site was not actively maintained last year.  6 of the respondents wanted regular site visits and support from POP in the coming year and the other 2 were interested in consulting visits.  In terms of distribution of orchard yields, 5 sites were harvested for free by community members, 2 were harvested by the partner and distributed for free to the community, and 1 did not harvest or distribute.  

Stories of impact from Reconnecting Survey: 

“Both major plantings with POP this year were really special. In the spring, planting with kids from our youth program in our memorial bed was great to involve them. And then planting around the perimeter of the Labyrinth during our Fall Fest was amazing! Thank you POP for all that you do, for all the support you have shown us, and for your partnership!!” – CommUnity Garden at the Creek

“Fruit production at Grumblethorpe primarily serves the youth summer employment program, Grumblethorpe Youth Farmstand, supplying affordable produce to the neighborhood. It also represents the orchard, farming, and horticultural history of this historic landmark to visitors and benefits our elementary education program.” – Grumblethorpe