Heritage Orchard

2023 Community Harvest

Harvest opportunities will be announced based on orchard conditions. Saratoga residents can learn about these opportunities by completing the Community Harvest Interest Form. After completing the Community Harvest Interest Form, Saratoga residents will be notified by email at least 24 hours in advance of Community Harvest opportunities. This email will include instructions on how to participate. 

Residents can also become a Village Harvest volunteer to pick fruit from local orchards that will be donated to local food banks at www.villageharvest.org   

Fruit may only be collected as part of City-sanctioned harvest events or activities. Registration is required. Harvest dates and times are subject to change.

Village Harvest

In addition to the Community Harvest, City has collaborated with Village Harvest to collect fruit from the Heritage Orchard to be donated to local food banks. In 2020, community members volunteered with Village Harvest to gather more than 6,000 pounds of fruit that was donated. Village Harvest is a nonprofit volunteer organization that works to provide food for people in need, promote sustainable use of urban resources, and preserve agricultural heritage and skills. 

Visit the Village Harvest website to learn more about how you can volunteer to be part of this effort.

About the Orchard

Saratoga began as a frontier town and an industrial settlement before becoming an agricultural hub with many fruit orchards and vineyards. Saratoga’s bountiful fruit harvests made it a popular trading post. Glen Una was one of the largest prune ranches in the area, and the Blossom Festival started as a result of agricultural influences. Saratoga, and the valley as a whole, transformed its identity once again and Saratoga became a residential community. 

The Heritage Orchard was designated as a City park in 1984 in recognition of the City's agricultural heritage. It was designated as a Heritage Landmark by the City in 1988. The Heritage Orchard is now one of the few remaining orchards in the Bay Area. It includes plum, apricot, and cherry trees. In 2020, the City Council adopted the Heritage Orchard Master Plan, which was developed by the Heritage Preservation Commission.

Orchard Maintenance

The City works with an orchard maintenance contractor for the care of the Heritage Orchard. Some of the common maintenance practices are noted below by season. 

Winter

  • Perform pest management following integrated pest management practices
  • Prune cherries and plums
  • Plant new trees
  • Manage understory

Spring

  • Perform pest management 
  • Thin the crop to prevent limb breakage and to size up the fruit
  • Mow

Summer

  • Harvest cherries, apricots, and prune plums
  • Prune apricots
  • Mow

Fall

  • Manage cover crop/understory
  • Mow

Integrated Pest Management

The Heritage Orchard is maintained using integrated pest management principles. Integrated pest management focuses on the prevention of pests through a combination of ecosystem-based techniques, such as habitat manipulation and other natural options. Fungicide and insecticide are only used in the Heritage Orchard if necessary. Additionally, only organic (OMRI approved) products are used when spraying is needed. Examples of integrated pest management practices include the planting of native, flowering shrubs that provide a habitat for predatory insects and birds that eat orchard pests.

Heritage Orchard Cover Crop

Various plants can be found below the canopy of the trees in the Heritage Orchard. The space below the tree canopy is also referred to as the understory. These plants in the understory are a cover crop that has been intentionally planted to support the health of the Heritage Orchard. The use of cover crops in orchards is very common, dating back to the Roman Empire. Cover crops eliminate the need for annual discing, prevent soil erosion, regulate moisture, attract pollinators, and provide natural weed and pest management. Additionally, the cover crop helps feeds nutrients into the soil, encouraging a healthy microbiology in the soil that helps the Heritage Orchard trees stay healthy and withstand stress throughout the year.