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.

Here is a summary of this year’s survey responses.

Survey Participation & Organizational Dynamics 

In all, 52 of 71 POP community partners (73%) participated in our annual Partner Survey. New partners or those who have been out of contact were sent an abbreviated survey, and we received 6 responses to our request to “reconnect” (a 60% 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 (27% of those who responded to a survey). Most of these were related to staff turnover, changes in capacity, and organizational restructuring.

The most common challenges partners faced included maintenance capacity (volunteer engagement and retention) and funding. Water access, pests, illegal trash dumping, and vandalism were also mentioned multiple times.

Of the 48 respondents to the full survey, 23 partners (48%) reported having BIPOC ( Black, Indigenous, or Person of Color) leadership either of the organization or as the main farmer. 

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 6 aspects: Food Production and Distribution, Beauty and Neighborhood Greening, Gathering and Community Space, Learning Opportunities, Environmental Impact, and Community Health and Nutrition.

47 partners responded to this question.

The most commonly selected as “Very Important” (a rating of “4”) were Environmental Impact (32) and Beauty and Neighborhood Greening (29). 

The same two options came out on top when including responses for both “Very Important” OR the adjacent rating (“4” or “3”), with a slight reversal: Beauty and Neighborhood Greening (44) and Environmental Impact (43). Last year’s “Very Important” areas were Environmental Impact (26), Learning Opportunities (25), and Beauty and Neighborhood Greening (24). 

Only two options received multiple responses of “Not Important” (a rating of “1”). Food Production and Distribution (3) and Community Health and Nutrition (2).

When considering responses for both “Not Important” OR the adjacent rating (“1” or “2”), the most frequent selections were Community Health and Nutrition (12), Learning Opportunities (12), and Food Production and Distribution (11). Note that a couple of these orchards aren’t able to produce food because they are still too young or because of some other specific situation.

Compared to last year, the only significant difference is that fewer groups used their orchard as a space for Learning Opportunities. 

We also asked partners to tell us one story from this year that illustrates the value of the orchard.

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.

Fernhill Food Forest: 

“A moment that sticks out to me happened during the first harvest of our Asian pear trees, which were planted with POP years ago. A family visiting the park stumbled upon the food forest (they were visiting the playground), and came over curious about the trees and the garden. I invited them to taste the pears with fresh mint from our herb bed (a combo a visiting farmer taught us) and their awe/delight was immediate. The kids said how sweet and fresh the combo was, wondered out loud about other potential combos and the adults said the beauty and abundance drew them in. 

That day turned into an impromptu lesson on permaculture and food forests, showing them how the trees, shrubs, and groundcovers work together to create a healthy ecosystem. This happened regularly (people coming by randomly seeing us while doing something else in the park and wanting to learn more). Some of those children later joined our free summer camp where they learned to care for the plants, harvest produce, and even compost scraps back into the soil. Watching neighbors connect with the land, taste fresh food, and see the food forest as a community gathering space is so special. It’s not just for food production, but for education, environmental stewardship, and building lasting neighborhood connections. We are a park village community and the food forest is the heart of it all.”

Historic Strawberry Mansion: 

“Our orchard is open to the neighborhood to come at any time and pick what they wish. It is very gratifying to see individuals and families enjoying the fruits and also enjoying the serenity of the orchard they sometimes can not find in their urban setting.”

South Philadelphia High School:

”Multiple people will stop and tell us how important the trees and the green spaces are to their daily well being. The orchard brings together people from across many different cultures. Food is a universal language.”

Walnut Hill Community Farm:

“One evening this fall, our LOV and I were harvesting Asian pears, which was probably an unexpected sight to see at a busy intersection like ours. A couple folks walking by were intrigued and ended up helping out with the harvest and taking some pears home. They were really excited to learn about fruits and vegetables growing right here in their own city.”

Freedom Greens and Gardens / Get Fresh Daily:

“Devon, a very outspoken and energetic 3rd grader attending our partner school and daughter of a family very active in our garden community, loves to make what she calls Garden Burritos – Raspberries wrapped in Sorrell leaf – and happily and enthusiastically makes and shares with everyone in her vicinity where she is in the garden. As a natural leader, it’s pure joy to watch her lead others on the tour and tasting of the orchard which impacted her so deeply, and to witness her next-level understanding through this lovely – and delicious! – application.”

Community Involvement

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

We asked partners to highlight other ways that the community was involved. Here are a few responses:

The Open Kitchen Sculpture Garden:

“We promote and help young artists, we had 8 artists in residence for about two weeks each. Some of these artists helped maintain the garden.”

Freedom Greens and Gardens / Get Fresh Daily:

“We use foods grown in the orchard as part of our biweekly farmers markets as part of our offering, in cooking demonstrations. The orchard is located at the busy intersection at 52nd and Pine and anchors our garden. It becomes the backdrop for every school dismissal appreciated by hundreds of children and families a week who enjoy the raspberries accessible through the gate and the expanding echinacea bush. That bush is also home to many bird families who nest and tend to their families every year.”

Fernhill Food Forest:

“Community compost site. We collected over 2,500 pounds of kitchen scraps and engaged many first composters.”

Distribution

Distribution varies across our many partner orchards, in accordance with the group’s mission and priorities.

The vast majority of the harvest was distributed for free to the community. 77% (37 of 48 partners) responded that All or Most of the harvest was distributed this way.

Very little of the produce was sold. 10% (5 of 48 respondents) noted that Most or Some of the harvest was sold.

When asked about factors that led to viable harvests being unused, common responses were “Missed the harvest window” (often because of capacity constraints) and “Harvest was out of reach.” 42% (20 of 48 responses) noted one or both of these reasons.

About half of our partners say they don’t track their harvest, so we ask the question in general terms to be less precise but hopefully more accurate, with a multiple choice of All, Most, Some, None.

How much of the orchard harvest was distributed for free to the community (program participants, mutual aid, emergency food centers, etc)?

All: 24. Most: 13. Some: 1. None: 8.

How much of the orchard harvest was sold (on or off site)?

All: 0. Most: 1. Some: 4. None: 42.

What percentage sold was purchased via EBT/SNAP/FMNP benefits?

All: 0. Most: 1. Some: 3. None: 40.

Orchard Production

The Orchard Production section compiles and analyzes all of the data on the total yield by plant types at the partner sites that participated in this survey. 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 Challenges

The majority of the lower yields compared to 2024 can be attributed to the weather and fungal issues. 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, ruining much of the fruit set. 

The drought this past year was not as severe as in 2023, but it still occurred this past year and had an impact. The drought, in combination with the excessive heat, created stressful conditions for many of the crops, reducing plant growth, fruit quality, and fruit size for late season crops. Many of the sites don’t have irrigation and don’t have capacity to water at a high frequency. 

In terms of pest and disease pressures, fire blight occurred profusely.The humid conditions in the spring increased fungal issues like brown rot, affecting stone fruit. 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. It is evident that older orchards produce more fruit. 

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 of Trees and Shrubs

This year, we harvested a total of 12,044 lbs: 10,304 lbs from trees and 1,740 lbs from shrubs, berries, and vines.

Pound totals from fruit and nut trees (listed in order from highest to lowest yield):

• Asian pears: 1870.3 lbs (500.68 lbs-2024, 1664.34-2023, 114.6-2022, 357.5-2021, 143.6-2020) 
• Paw paws: 1793.335 lbs (2029.67-2024, 1638.69-2023, 1818-2022, 1799.1-2021, 311.5-2020)
• Plums: 1472.38 lbs (209.34-2024, 978.79-2023, 24-2022, 456.4-2021, 205.6-2020) 
• Figs: 1247.955 lbs (1131.85-2024, 1206.595- 2023, 587.8-2022, 736.1-2021, 403.5-2020) 
• Persimmons: 1152.85 lbs (835.8-2024, 724.525-2023, 332.6-2022, 410-2021, 24.2-2020) 
• Pie cherries: 634.09 lbs (500.98-2024, 848.4-2023, 80.65-2022, 204.5-2021, 144.5-2020) 
• Sweet cherries: 461.11 lbs (536-2024, 614.25-2023, 78-2022, 247-2021, 154.25-2020)
• Peaches/Nectarines: 390.0 lbs (464.5-2024, 355.88-2023, 97-2022, 425-2021, 124- 2020) 
• European pears: 351.49 lbs (219.37-2024,152.5-2023, 39-2022, 278-2021, 35.6-2020)
• Apples: 278 lbs (323.05-2-24, 470.78-2023, 216-2022, 194.33-2021, 91.25-2020)
• Juneberries: 146.5 lbs (92.1-2024, 80-2023, 34-2022,26.25-2021, 20.25 -2020) 
• Chestnuts: 121 lbs (5.2-2024, 143-2023, 44-2022, 50-2021, 0-2020)
• Mulberries: 75.5 lbs (89-2024, 175-2023, 68.8-2022, 89-2021, 35.5 -2020) 
• Other: 75 lbs (no harvests recorded in previous years)
• Hardy almonds: 60.5 lbs (35-2024, 143-2023, 5-2022, 40-2021, 23-2020)
• Jujubes: 52.24 lbs (7.2-2024, 19.6-2023, 0-2023, 7-2021, 2.02-2020)
• Hazelnuts: 45.9 lbs (0-2024, 40-2023, 0-2022, 46-2021, 11-2020)
• Pomegranate: 36.2 lbs (no harvests recorded in previous years)
• Apricots: 33 lbs (5-2024, 15-2023, 3-2022, 27-2021, 6-2020)
• Medlars: 6 lbs (10-2024, 65-2023, 0-2022, 10-2021, 5-2020)

Analysis of results

• Many of the fruit yields increased, with some exceptions. Stone fruit mostly increased in yield. Pie cherries increased marginally. Plums increased drastically. Sweet cherries had a smaller harvest, due to fungal issues like brown rot. Peaches/nectarines slightly decreased, but apricots had an increase. Pome fruit numbers were a mixed bag. Apples had a smaller yield, mostly from fire blight, but pears (European and Asian) and juneberries increased. Most of the easier-to-grow fruits, like persimmons, nuts, medlars, and figs increased, with the exception of paw paws, which decreased. 

Pound totals from berries, shrubs, and vines (listed in order from highest to lowest yield):

• Blackberries: 439.52 lbs (429.78-2024, 714.83-2023, 344.45-2022, 374.75-2021, 251-2020)
• Raspberries: 182.11 lbs (230.22-2024, 245.121-2023, 124-2022, 236.5-2021, 138.6-2020) 
• Goumis: 172.53 lbs (88.246-2024, 73.41-2023, 43.24-2022, 26.9-2021, 12.25-2020)
• Strawberries: 169.94 lbs (313.62-2024, 547.19-2023, 197.24-2022, 46-2021, 189-2020) 
• Hardy kiwis: 155.5 lbs (115.5-2024, 47.7-2023, 13.2-2022, 170-2021, 31.3-2020) 
• Grapes: 137.38 lbs (110.49-2024, 217.75-2023, 88.19-2022, 43.5-2021, 61-2020) 
• Elderberries: 115.85 lbs (26.92-2024, 114.96-2023, 91.35-2022, 79-2021, 32-2020) 
• Maypops: 87.86 lbs (62.34-2024, 41.55-2023)
• Blueberries: 67.87 lbs (60.54-2024, 111.8-2023, 61.35-2022, 56.45-2021, 39-2020) 
• Gooseberries: 62.45 lbs (54.17-2024, 20.49-2023, 16.7-2022, 15.5 -2021, 10.6-2020)
• Nanking cherries: 52.19 lbs (36.55-2024, 55.73-2023, 0-2022, 11-2021, 8-2020)
• Currants: 49.08 lbs (38.12-2024, 29.32-2023, 18.8-2022, 25.7-2021, 5.25-2020) 
• Pomegranates: 36.2 lbs (12-2024, 5-2023)
• Chokeberries: 11.35 lbs (11.6-2024, 64.47-2023)

Analysis of results:

• The berries, brambles, bushes, and vines mostly increased in yield, with some exceptions. Of the brambles, blackberries and gooseberries increased. Raspberries have been experiencing more issues, for rather unknown reasons. Elderberries, goumi, hardy kiwis, and pomegranates increased drastically, likely due to better pruning and older plants. Chokeberries, grapes, Nanking cherries, and currants increased marginally. 

Recorded Harvests of Herbs and Perennial Vegetables 

The yields of herbs and perennial vegetables went largely unrecorded. The majority of herbaceous crops grown at POP partner sites were culinary herbs. Oregano, fennel, mint, rosemary, 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 lemongrass, horseradish, comfrey, yarrow, sorrel, and mushroom logs. Based on the survey, it appears that the majority of the sites want to diversify their production and a few would like to host workshops.

Orchard Challenges and Needs

Since last year, we’ve had partners report on crop loss in their orchards and then expand on which specific challenges they faced during the season. By having partners report on their specific challenges and needs, POP is able to identify patterns occurring across the city.

What percentage of the crop was lost to pest and disease issues?
(None, Less than Half, More than Half, Uncertain)

2024 – None – 32%, Less than Half – 34%, More than half – 20.5%, and Uncertain – 13.5%

2025 – None – 25.5%, Less than Half – 53.1%, More than Half – 10.6%, and Uncertain – 10.8%

What percentage of the harvest was lost to birds, squirrels, or other non-insect pests?
(None, Less than Half, More than Half, Uncertain)

2024 – None – 11.4%, Less than Half – 45.5%, More than Half – 25%, Uncertain – 18%

2025 – None – 12.8%, Less than Half – 64%, More than Half – 17% Uncertain – 6.2%

Specific Challenges: 

Capacity: Capacity was a frequently mentioned challenge, with partners reporting capacity issues in regards to support for harvesting and weighing and having enough time and/or staff available for critical season-specific orchard monitoring and care such as pest and disease management, watering and weeding. It is worth noting that some of the capacity issues were due to transitions in staff or leadership. 

Non-Insect Pest Predation: Birds and squirrels continued to be highlighted as a pest issue, however there was a noticeable increase in “None” (1.4% increase) and “Less than Half” (18.5% increase) of the crop loss reported between 2024 and 2025 alongside a significant decrease in “More than Half” crop loss (8% decrease). Squirrels continued to target fruit and nut trees including peaches, hazelnuts and hardy almonds and birds were reported to target cherries and figs, however the general decrease in crop loss could partially be due to the increase in rainfall during the spring that ended the severe drought in 2024, with mammalian and avian predation receiving an increase in their water source. 

Stone Fruit: Peaches, plums and cherries continued to be the most impacted by pest and disease issues. Cherries across the city experienced major yield losses due to brown rot, plum trees succumbed to the notorious plum curculio pest and peaches and plums struggled to mature on the tree. 

Missing Fruit: Some partners reported the public taking the fruit as a cause for missing fruit that was almost ready or fully ripened. While not widely reported, theft of newly planted trees also occurred. 

Fruit Not Reaching Maturity: Fruitlets not reaching maturity was a major source of mystery this season. Aside from the usual suspects including stone fruit such as peaches and plums, some partners reported underripe fruit that struggled to reach maturity on trees including pomegranates, pawpaws, maypops and fuyu persimmons. 

Given the challenges, what might make next year better?

Capacity Building: Increasing and maintaining ongoing orchard support through LOV program, scheduling volunteer days for harvest and weighing, utilizing existing volunteer groups at sites for orchard care needs such as weeding and watering.

Equipment: Whole tree netting for bird and squirrel predation, signage about fruit readiness and harvest days.

IPM support: Integrated Pest and Disease management education and planning (especially for stone fruit before onset season (winter)); orchard sanitation, thinning, spray intervention (if needed), practicing cultural control by selecting pest and disease-resistant varieties.

Orchard Education

Orchard Skills

We asked partners to rate their own skill level in core orchard care areas. This is the second year we asked this question, with the goal of measuring educational impact over time and helping direct where to focus educational efforts. We were able to track orchard care skill levels of 40 partners and LOVs from the end of 2024 to the end of 2025.

We identified a number of individuals at different levels to reach out to and interview in 2026, hoping to understand successes and challenges and how to share that knowledge with our community and network. This includes people who moved from Intermediate to Advanced in Pruning – a particularly challenging step, as well as those who expanded their skills using resources beyond POP’s offerings. For example, of the 40 individuals tracked, 28% did not participate in POP workshop or prune alongside POP staff, but a quarter of them reported an increase in fruit tree pruning skills.

We also identified basic skills that some collaborators don’t have, which we could focus a relatively small amount of energy to impact significantly. Sheet Mulching and Thinning are two example.

The self-evaluation is based on a multiple choice with the following options:

• No experience
• Beginner: I have watched closely as someone else completes this task 
• Intermediate: I have assisted in completing this task 
• Advanced: I feel confident doing this task alone 

POPCORE Basics 

Sheet Mulching

• 45% (18) started at advanced level
• 63% (25) ended at advanced level 
• 15% (6) ended at no experience or beginner level 

Weed Identification 

• 27.5% (11) increased skills
• 37.5% (15) started at advanced
• 60% (24) ended at advanced 
• 22.5% (9) ended at intermediate
• 12.5% (5) started and ended at beginner
• 0% started and ended at no experience 

POPCORE 1 – Pruning 

Fruit tree pruning (goal: intermediate)

• 40% (16) increased skills
• 10% (4) started at advanced 
• 32.5% (13) ended at advanced
• 37.5% (15) started and ended at intermediate
• 10% (4) started and ended at beginner
• 2.5% (1) started and ended at no experience

Brambles pruning (goal: advanced)

• 47.5% (19) increased skills
• 13% (5) started at advanced
• 40% (16) ended at advanced
• 20% (8) started and ended at intermediate
• 20% (8) started and ended at no experience or beginner
•  36% (21) of partners and lovs who filled out 2025 survey at no experience/beginner

POPCORE 2 – Pest and Disease Management 

Pest and Disease Management 

• 30% (12) increased skills
• 2.5% (1) started at Advanced 
• 15% (6) ended at advanced
• 20% (8) started and ended at intermediate level 
• 33% (13) started and ended at beginner level
• 7.5% (3) started and ended with no experience

Thinning 

• 40% (16) increased skills
• 25% (10) started at advanced
• 47.5% (19) ended at advanced
• 20% (8) started and ended at intermediate level
• 15% (6) started and ended at no experience or beginner level

Considering all 56 partners that filled out the 2025 survey, 23% (13) are at no experience/beginner level at the beginning of 2026.

POPCORE 3 – Harvest and Use

How and When to Harvest: 

• 50% (20) increased skills
• 20% (8) started at advanced
• 50% (20) ended at advanced 
• 12.5% (5) started and ended at intermediate
• 12.5% (5) started and ended at beginner
• 2.5% (1) started and ended at no experience 

Post Harvest Handle/Storage: 

• 37.5% (15) increased skills
• 22.5% (9) started at advanced
• 47.5% (19) ended at advanced 
• 12.5% (5) started and ended at intermediate
• 10% (4) started and ended at beginner
• 7.5% (3) started and ended with no experience 

Value Added Products: 

• 42.5% (17) increased skills
• 10% (4) started at advanced
• 25% (10) ended at advanced 
• 17.5% (7) started and ended at intermediate
• 7.5% (3) started and ended at beginner
• 17.5% (7) started and ended with no experience 

Challenges to improving orchard skills

We asked partners what challenges they faced in being able to improve their orchard skills. The answers have remained consistent across time. The most common challenges were: 87.5% Time Constraints, 33% Limited opportunities to practice, 14% lack of tools or equipment, 10% Difficult finding relevant information.

Resources

The type of resources used to improve skills remains largely unchanged from last year.

New Resources

We released 4 major new or updated resources in 2025, a guide for each of the POPCORE. We asked partners if they had heard of these resources and if they were useful. They rated each resource on a scale of 1-4, with “1” meaning they didn’t know about the resource and “4” meaning they found it really helpful. Across the board, there was greater awareness about resources and people found to be more helpful than last year.

2025

• Updated Pruning Guide: 27.1% Didn’t know about it, 56.3% Really Helpful 
• POP Pest and Disease Guide for Stone Fruit: 29.2% Didn’t know about it, 58.3% found it really helpful
• POP Harvest Guide: 22.9% Didn’t know about it, 52% Found it really helpful 
• Orchard Design Guide: 37.5% Didn’t know about it, 35.4% Found it really helpful 

2024

• Updated Pruning Guide: 31.8% Didn’t know about it, 31.8% Really Helpful 
• Common Pest and Disease Monthly Action Plans: 38.6% Didn’t know about it, 31.8% Really Helpful 
• Pest and Disease Video Series: 45.5% Didn’t know about it, 27.3% Really Helpful 

Workshops & POPCORE 

We hosted 14 workshops at 12 different partner sites (6 in West, 4 in North, 3 in NW, and 1 in South), 4 at the POP Learning Orchard, and 0 virtually. Half of the workshops were taught by POP staff, half were taught by 9 different community educators (8/9 BIPOC). . 

In 2025, we are piloted the return of our POPCORE workshop series to fully in-person and held over the course of the year. We held a series of “Lunch and Learn” workshops exclusively for POP partners and LOVs, in an effort to recenter supporting our partners through education and training. These trainings were coupled with food provided by small locally BIPOC-owned businesses, resource distribution to partners, and space to share knowledge and experiences collectively. POP offers workshops both in orchard care (10 in 2025) and harvest education (8 in 2025). This was a major decrease in our Harvest Ed workshops, with more energy put into POPCORE Lunch and Learns. 

What would convince partners who didn’t attend in 2025 to participate in future POPCORE workshops: 

1. Scheduling. The most common conflict was scheduling. Folks noted that they need more advance notice, with a month being ideal. Folks also noted a variety of timing preferences including weekday, weekend, and virtual options. 
2. Transportation. Difficulty getting to workshop location.
3. Child Care or ability to bring children along to workshop. 

Suggested changes for 2026 POPCORE:

1. More hands on time
2. More time hearing from site leads: successes and challenges
3. Automatic calendar invites to workshops 

2026 Education Goals

1. Resources: Improve guides so more helpful. More outreach to let folks know they are available. 
2. Workshops:
   1. POPCORE. Continue Lunch and Learns.
      1. Add public workshop for each hosted at POP Learning Orchard. 
      2. Set years schedule and share out to partners and LOVs January 2026. 
      3. More hands on time. 
      4. More time for discussion between site leads/LOVs. 
   2. Harvest Ed: Use as a method to recruit LOVs. 
3. Annual meetings: Set individual learning goals and plans to achieve. Self-eval of orchard skills at annual meeting if needed. 

Youth Education

At least 21 of 48 respondents (43.75%) have youth programming in some capacity.

Nearly 30% of partners who responded to our 2025 year end survey have youth garden crews: 

• 11 with year round programs
• 3 with summer only crews
• 2 are part of larger organizations that have youth programming, but whose youth don’t frequently interact with their orchards or gardens
• 5 have youth involvement in their orchards or gardens, but it is informal and/or minimal
• 1 has youth who interact with their orchard space informally through a neighboring organization

In the end of year survey, we let partners know that we created seasonal workshop offerings specifically for youth that involve hands-on exploration and skill building in orchard care. 

• 24 partners expressed interest in POP staff leading their youth in at least 1 of the POPCORE Jr lessons in 2026.
• 15 partners expressed interest in receiving all 4 POPCORE Jr lessons in 2026.
• 22 partners expressed interest in bringing their youth to the POP Learning Orchard for a field trip in 2026.

Survey responses did not reflect all activity, but based on the survey numbers: We led over 11 POPCORE Jr youth workshops for over 6 partner orchards and hosted 3 field trips at PLOW.

In 2025, we expanded the reach of our 4 POPCORE offerings through the POPCORE Jr series, aligning our youth education more closely with the pillars of our POPCORE curriculum. Moving into 2026, we will refine this approach and build the synergy.

In 2025, we also offered our partners the opportunity to bring their youth crews on field trips to the POP Learning Orchard (PLOW) and we plan to continue this effort to activate the space as a living classroom. 

Lead Orchard Volunteers

The POP Lead Orchard Volunteer (LOV) Program is an optional support offering that increases partners’ orchard care capacity by connecting partners directly to dedicated volunteer support, while connecting volunteers to training, resources, land, community, and stipends.

In 2025 POP had 36 LOVs (down from 38 in 2024) at 20 sites (down from 21 sites in 2024). 

21 out of 36 LOVs responded to the LOV End of Year Survey.

During the 2025 season, we standardized our POPCORE workshop series, making it an exclusive, in-person, hands-on learning offering to our partners and LOVs. Towards the end of the season, POP staff updated onboarding documents that clearly outlined the program’s purpose and responsibilities held between LOVs, Partners, and POP Staff. These two structural changes are helpful to keep in mind as we review the feedback gathered from both our partners and Lead Orchard Volunteers on their experience in the LOV Program last year.

We asked partners to rate how helpful having an LOV was from 1 (“Not at all”) to 4 (“Very Helpful”).

• 60% (12) rated 4 out of 4 – Very Helpful
• 30% (6) rated 3 out of 4
• 10% (2) rated 2 out 4

We asked partners if they were interested in having an LOV next year. 20 out of the 48 respondents replied to this optional question.

• 13 partner sites (27%) stated that they already have an LOV and are not looking for more.
• 6 partner sites (13%) stated that they are interested in an LOV and have a community member who would be a good fit. 
• 11 partner sites (23%) stated that they were interested in an LOV and wanted help from POP to recruit one. 
• 8 partner sites (17%) stated that they needed more information about the LOV program.
• 10 partner sites (21%) stated that they are not interested in engaging with an LOV. 

Partners and LOVs shared a few challenges:

• “Timing”
• “The orchard sponsor is way too busy with his own position to be able to help too much.”
• “The LOV had unexpected commitments a couple times. This coming year her time will again open up.”
• “Specialty orchard resources are a challenge. I know about advanced pest management tools like mating disruption bands, but can’t source them for the site, or things like compost tea, but I don’t have a place where I can brew compost tea.”

Here are some stories partners shared that illustrated the value of having an LOV:

• “When our orchard trees developed root rot, the LOV came to the farm to investigate and acquired the necessary resources to help alleviate the root rot and other problems that the orchard was experiencing.”

• “Our LOV is so knowledgeable and dedicated to the food forest, we really couldn’t do it without her!”

• “Our LOV was an essential team member this year as we were transitioning the stewardship of the farm back to the hands of the community gardeners. She taught me a lot during our harvest days, took lead in orchard maintenance activities at one of our volunteer workdays, and got visitors excited about our fruit trees.”

• “We were planting blueberries in our orchard and realized that we didn’t have any soil acidifier, luckily Alex had some at home and volunteered to drive home and retrieve it so that we could successfully acidify the soil during our workday!”

• “We had some LOVs drop off this year, but it was great to have returning LOVs such as Tania and Becky come to the orchard and find pockets within the space that became their pocket. Becky is the lead volunteer in the nursery and Tania is our go-to fruit processing pro”

• “It’s been really valuable for me to be able to build and grow skills with POP and bring them back to the orchard, I feel supported when I face challenges, and I’ve been able to share and grow the knowledge-base among others back at our garden.”

• “Just knowing we have someone makes it all more manageable.”

Lead Orchard Volunteers were asked to rate what they valued about the program from 1 (“Not at all”) to 4 (“Value a lot”).

• Building Relationships with People
  • 66.7% (14) rated 4 out of 4
  • 28.6% (6) rated 3 out of 4
  • 4.8% (1) rated 2 out of 4
• Building Relationships with Plants
  • 81% (17) rated 4 out of 4
  • 19% (4) rated 3 out of 4
• Expanding knowledge in orchard care
  • 81% (17) rated 4 out of 4
  • 19% (4) rated 3 out of 4
• Expanding ability to lead volunteers
  • 33.3% (7) rated 4 out of 4
  • 33.3% (7) rated 3 out of 4
  • 28.6% (6) rated 2 out of 4
  • 4.8% (1) rated 1 out of 4

Here are several testimonies from our 2025 Lead Orchard Volunteers that further illustrate the value of the LOV program as it has impacted the LOVs and/or their community. 

“This year I got to volunteer at the Apple and Pawpaw fest with Woodford Mansion and the Fairmount Food Forest. We were running the apple press and got to share the freshly pressed cider with folks. Seeing kids and adults alike get excited about the transformation process and get to enjoy a free delicious taste of fall really encapsulated what POP is able to offer to communities all over Philly. A moment to pause and enjoy the gifts that nature has to share.” – LOV at Mill Creek Urban Farm

“This year, one of the most meaningful moments for me as a LOV happened the day our Asian pear trees finally fruited after being planted years ago. We had watched those trees grow, season after season, and finally got to taste them! Our volunteers/neighbors gathered we picked them and blessed them and ate. We added mint leaves on top (advice from a visiting farmer) and we all loved offering this combo to volunteers on community workdays. So many smiles, laughs and awe. I ate my first paw paw at the food forest this year. Planted hardy kiwi and hand sawed the honey locust tree for the trellis’ myself. I loved checking the plant growth after rain. Always exponential. We hosted free summer camp for the neighborhood kids for the 2nd year in a row. I LOVED doing guild observation logs with the kids and the great questions they ask. At least once a week but often times more, people would happen across the food forest during a park visit and said they’d never been to a food forest, I get to teach them the word and purpose of permaculture (many never even heard the word) while offering them a taste of fresh figs, strawberries, herbs, tree fruits, etc.” – LOV at Fernhill Food Forest

“It’s just wonderful to feel supported by POP as an organization and to feel connected to other urban gardeners throughout the city. I especially loved meeting in the high tunnel at the Woodlands for a meal and learning how to do a basic site map together.” – LOV at SPOAC

When an LOV joins the program, we ask that they complete a minimum of 2.5 hours of orchard care at their site per month during the season (March through November plus a winter pruning day). We asked on average how much time they spent at their site. 

• 33.3% (7) of LOVs spent 0-2 hrs a month at their site
• 47.6% (10) of LOVs spent 3-5 hrs a month at their site 
• 9.5% (2) of LOVs spent 6-10 hrs a month at their site 
• 4.8% (1)of LOVs spent 10-15 hrs a month at their site
• 4.8% (1) of LOVs spent 40 hours minimum; 10-20 hrs per week, at least 3x weekly at their site

We asked LOVs which learning opportunities they engaged in.

• 42.9% (9) attended Lunch n Learns
• 47.6% (10) attended LOV Gatherings. 
• 61.9% (13) attended POP Workshops. 
• 23.8% (5) attended Orchard Workshop or training offered by a group other than POP. 
• 42.9% (9) watched recorded POPCORE workshops on YOUTUBE. 
• 57.1% (12) looked up information on POP’s resource page. 
• 47.6% (10) read articles on POP’s Blog. 
• 57.1% (12) read posts on POP’s Instagram. 
• 61.9% (13) read PHOG emails 

We asked LOVs to rate their own skill level in core orchard care areas, to measure educational impact over time, and to direct where to focus educational efforts.

• Assessing what needs to be done in the orchard: No Experience: 43% (9), Beginner: 24% (5), Intermediate: 10% (2), Advanced: 24% (5)
• Pruning fruit trees: Beginner: 19% (4), Intermediate: 62% (13), Advanced: 19% (4)
• Pruning brambles: No Experience: 19% (4), Beginner: 29% (6), Intermediate: 38% (8), Advanced: 14% (3)
• Sheet Mulching: No Experience: 5% (1), Beginner: 10% (2), Intermediate: 52% (11), Advanced: 33% (7)
• Weed Identification: No Experience: 5% (1), Beginner: 19% (4), Intermediate: 33% (7), Advanced: 43% (9)
• Thinning Fruit: Beginner: 19% (4), Intermediate: 57% (12), Advanced: 24% (5) 
• Pest and Disease Management: Beginner: 62% (13), Intermediate: 38% (8)
• How and when to harvest fruits: Beginner: 38% (8), Intermediate: 38% (8), Advanced: 24% (5)
• Post-harvest handling and storage:No Experience: 5% (1), Beginner: 48% (10), Intermediate: 24% (5), Advanced: 24% (5)
• Processing harvest into value-added products like ice cream, jam, medicine, etc. : No Experience: 19% (4), Beginner: 24% (5), Intermediate: 38% (8), Advanced: 19% (4)
• Leading volunteers: Beginner: 48% (10), Intermediate: 33% (7), Advanced: 19% (4)
• Giving tour of orchard: No Experience: 10% (2), Beginner: 29% (6), Intermediate: 43% (9), Advanced: 19% (4)

We asked LOVs how supported they felt by their orchard hosts, from 1 (“Not at all”) to 4 (“Very Supported”).

• 66.7% (14) rated 4 out of 4
• 9.5% (2) rated 3 out of 4
• 23.8% (5) rated 2 out of 4

We asked LOVs how supported they felt by POP staff, from 1 (“Not at all”) to 4 (“Very Supported”).

• 76.2% (16) rated 4 out of 4
• 14.3% (3) rated 3 out of 4
• 4.8% (1) rated 2 out of 4
• 4.8% (1) rated 1 out of 4

What challenges did LOVs face?

A recurring challenge that we’ve seen in previous years is a conflict with scheduling. Generally, due to busier work schedules, longer commute times, and other commitments overlapping with volunteer days, LOVs found it hard to put in enough hours or make workdays at all, even though there was a desire to be involved. Some LOVs also dealt with familial and medical issues throughout the season that made it challenging to show up more consistently. Other challenges included a lack of support from their partner orchards. For example, one LOV mentioned a lack of resources and prioritization from the partner orchard and farm staff. Orchard-related challenges included hot weather, brown rot at MCFU, and berry hill at Bartram’s getting overtaken with weeds. 

What could be improved next year?

There was an array of suggestions for improvements, beginning with connection and resources. LOVs mentioned wanting to spend more time at other POP sites than their own and a desire to connect with surrounding neighbors and support their plant projects. One LOV specifically mentioned it would be helpful to have access to a wood chipper after pruning days and a high-powered sprayer. They were curious if there were any resource hubs or other partner orgs that could help expand access to more of these tools and services. There is also a desire for more communication and productive planning from POP staff, including advanced notice of workshops throughout the year and shared tree treatment plans for pests and diseases. One LOV mentioned wanting to develop more understory at their site to support the trees and reduce weeding. They said they think the new Annual Conversations will help support this. Others mentioned a general desire for more opportunities to participate in POP happenings and specific ideas like a grafting workshop.

POP Performance / Organizational Improvement

This year we again tried to find out what aspects of POP’s programs and services were most appreciated by our partners. We asked them to rate how valuable and helpful each of the following were, on a scale of 1 to 4: Maintenance Support, Training and Mentorship, Workshops, Educational Resources, and Community Events. Every program was rated between 3 and 4, signifying that our programs are on target and highly valuable and useful.

• POP maintenance support again rated the highest (3.91 out of 4; down slightly from 3.95 in 2024).
• This year, Educational Resources (3.83 up from 3.59) came in second, which may reflect newly updated and consolidated guides and materials published this year.
• This was followed closely by Training and Mentorship through Work Days (3.72 up from 3.66) and Workshops (3.72 up from 3.65).
• The lowest rating was again for POP Community Events (3.68 up from 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 continue to keep in mind that maintenance is rated as the most appreciated service area. Otherwise, it is good to know that all of POP’s programs and services remain so highly valued by our partners.

We also included open-ended questions about what is working well and how things could 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 varied compliments for the POP team including:

• consistent, communicative, dedicated, practical, great people, great listeners, etc (19);
• knowledge/guidance/expertise (16 responses); in person visits and help with orchard maintenance (14);
• hands-on experiential learning opportunities (7);
• educational resources including printed, online, and video (6).

Compared to the previous year, mentions of strong communication were up, as well as mentions of educational resources. These may reflect our intentional efforts, including new partner check-in strategies and improvements to our resources made this year.

Some direct quotes: 

Penn Treaty Park Gateway Garden & Orchard:

“What we value most is POP’s steady support, knowledge-sharing, and belief in our vision—helping us build skills, connect neighbors to the land, and feel part of a larger community of orchard stewards across Philadelphia.”

Sayre High School Food Forest:

“Sharon and Hannah’s support displayed a real interest in our orchard space at Sayre, and were great listeners to support my vision of the garden.”

More quotes:

We value “Everything they teach when they come out. It’s such a huge resource and such a great team of people, I really enjoy our workdays.”

We value “Their consistency as an organization and the vast wisdoms & skill sets of their orchard workers.”

The ‘Additional Comments or Questions’ section had many replies expressing gratitude (16) and a number of specific requests, including help with LOV and volunteer recruitment and support (8); more check-ins and walk throughs (4) pest and disease management support (3); and ongoing help with design and planning (3). 

The Tulpehocken Station Garden shared this sweet story:

“Anastasia Alexandrin, our wildflower maven, tells this story about her daughter about how much the Tulpehocken Train Station has meant to her daughter this year:

She’s six now, and that space has become one of the most magical classrooms in her life. She still talks about the days she got to help with the wheelbarrow—moving leaves, spreading mulch, learning how to care for plants through every season. It made her feel capable and included, like she was part of something bigger than herself.

One of her greatest joys is taking her friends to “her” Juneberry trees in May. She can spot the berries anywhere, and she loves explaining why they’re special. That connection to the land — the kind that makes a child feel proud of knowing what grows around her — started at the train station.

She also loves visiting in the summer, when the bees and insects are busy and the wildflower field is buzzing with life. She has learned so many native plants just by spending time there, watching, touching, climbing, exploring. There is always something to find, something to eat, something to marvel at.

I truly believe that the Tulpehocken Train Station shaped her relationship with nature in such a beautiful way. I’m so grateful for that space and for the work that goes into keeping it so alive.”

This year we added a new question, asking partners to assess our new process of annual partner agreements and planning meetings. On a scale of 1 to 4, partners rated the process an average of 3.14. There were 10 partners that gave a rating of 1 or 2; of these, at least five did not participate in this process for various reasons (primarily self sufficiency or low capacity). In response to the open ended follow up question, partners noted the meetings as helpful (10 times) in setting expectations (9), assisting in planning and preparedness (4) and clarifying goals and needs (4). A total of 5 sites felt the meeting didn’t change the pre-existing relationship and 3 didn’t recall the process despite participating. 

Some direct quotes:

Weavers Way Orchard at Saul High School:

“It was nice to set a plan for the year and have a written record so we could follow up on it.”

Sayre High School Food Forest:

“It was a great way to manage expectations and streamline communication about our relationship for the coming year.”

Awbury Food Forest:

“It helped to reinvigorate our organizations involvement in the food forest.”

As a follow up to the surveys, POP staff are again planning individualized check-ins with all partners in February and March. These annual check-in meetings will serve to kick off the season by checking back on survey answers, reviewing roles and expectations, and setting goals for the year. This year, similar kick-off conversations will be held with Lead Orchard Volunteers as well.

Reconnecting Survey

In 2025, 6 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. Not that these responses are not captured in the other sections, with the exception of the production total.

2 of the respondents were partners we hadn’t had much contact with last year, 1 partner undergoing significant transitions, 1 partner with limited capacity, 1 was from a new group engaging with an old site, and 1 was a response from POP staff for a site maintained primarily by us. Of the sites, 3 reported that their orchard was maintained by volunteers from the partner; 1 was maintained by POP and PPR; 1 was maintained by POP, and 1 site was not actively maintained last year. 3 of the respondents wanted regular site visits and support from POP in the coming year (Southwark, Chester Ave, and Hunting Park). In terms of distribution of orchard yields, 4 sites were harvested for free by community members, and another reported harvests occurring in the middle of the night by parties unknown.