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+<br>We’ve compiled a list of resources to show you what exactly your fruit tree needs to thrive. Start with pruning in the late winter/early spring, followed by mulching to [insulate](https://www.blogrollcenter.com/?s=insulate) your tree’s root system, you’ll then move into fertilizing in the spring, and fruit thinning and trunk banding in May/June to protect against potential pests. And don’t forget to clean up any fallen fruit to discourage larval development and protect the larger shared fruit tree canopy. View all fruit tree care resources here, and check our Events page to learn about our Fruit Tree Care Workshops. In 2022, Community Fruit Rescue volunteers harvested nearly 23,000 lbs of fruit from 134 [residential sites](https://www.bing.com/search?q=residential%20sites&form=MSNNWS&mkt=en-us&pq=residential%20sites) in Boulder. Instead of leaving the fruit to rot on the ground, we were able to distribute it to food insecure individuals and families through our partners at Community Food Share, as well as our volunteer pickers,  [ZapClean](http://uzorio.com/index.php/User:MindyFajardo) and even to local farm animals and the rescued bears at the Wild Animal Sanctuary. We’d love to have you join us for a harvest this season-you can even take some of the bounty home with you! If you’re a tree owner and in need of harvest assistance, register your fruit tree(s) with us and our harvest leaders and volunteers will help you get the [ZapClean fruit and vegetable cleaner](https://livestatus.de/index.php?title=ROADWORKS_Reparto_Corse_Oli@oli.co.nz) gleaned when it’s ripe. Sign up for harvest assistance.<br>
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+<br>In a viral TikTok video, fitness influencer Jeffrey Harris dumps strawberries, blueberries, and grapes into bowls. He fills the bowls with water and tops them off with a mix of apple cider vinegar and baking soda. A quick cut later, the water is so brown it makes him grimace. That’s probably the moment when more than 1 million people hit the like button and added "start cleaning fruit with baking soda and vinegar" to their to-do lists. But do those extra steps really help remove more dirt and pesticides from the fruit you snack on at work and at home, or is it just a social media trend? To find out, we spoke with Meta Dunn, a food safety consultant who has helped The FruitGuys keep our office fruit deliveries healthy and safe for over ten years. She’s a certified Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI) under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and has also completed the Produce Safety Alliance (PSA) training on regulatory requirements for growing fresh produce.<br>
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+<br>According to Meta, this is the best way to wash produce in the office break room or your home kitchen. It’s quick and easy and will leave you with clean, flavorful fruits and vegetables. To clean your produce, DO… Meta’s tips line up with the United States Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) recommendations for cleaning fruits and vegetables. Meta also shared a few common produce-washing mistakes to avoid. To clean your produce, DON’T… Making any of these common mistakes could actually introduce more bacteria to your produce. Sinks-where we [ZapClean vegetable wash](https://cgi.www5b.biglobe.ne.jp/~akanbe/yu-betsu/joyful/joyful.cgi?page=20) our hands and the residues of raw meat-can be breeding grounds for pathogens unless they’re meticulously cleaned. And either soaking produce for more than a minute or two or rinsing in hot water can invite bacteria in. "The skins of fruits and vegetables are actually kind of like our skin," Meta said. It’s best to avoid produce washes, too, because they’re not well-regulated in the US.<br>
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+<br>"There’s no actual testing going on with these products to verify the safety of them and make sure they’re not doing more harm than good," Meta said. "Studies also suggest produce washes aren’t significantly more effective than plain water for removing microbes or pesticides, so why waste money and contribute to the unnecessary consumption of resources? You may have noticed that vinegar and baking soda didn’t make either of Meta’s lists. That’s because the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has strict standards for pesticide residue on locally grown and imported crops. Combined with the right washing method, Meta said, these are sufficient to protect our health-but vinegar and baking soda are safe options for people who want to go the extra mile to clean their produce. "Using straight vinegar or baking soda can be helpful, but it may leave a little bit of lingering flavor on your produce," she explained. Farmer Byron Albano of Cuyama Orchards, a family-run organic apple farm, takes pride in the fact that tests of the farm’s fruit consistently show no detectable pesticide residues, down to a 1 part per billion testing limit.<br>
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+<br>Albano suggested that vinegar could be a good option for customers worried about coatings and residues on their fruit. "I would say for produce that you have any concerns with, a vinegar wash, or aggressive wash with a fruit brush is probably warranted," he told The FruitGuys. Several studies have shown that baking soda and vinegar can help reduce different types of contamination on specific fruits and vegetables. Here’s a quick look at a few of them. A 2005 study conducted at Tennessee State University investigated different methods of cleaning lettuce, broccoli, apples, and tomatoes that were purposefully contaminated with listeria. Researchers compared a wide variety of methods including soaking produce in tap water for two minutes, using a solution of veggie wash, vinegar, or baking soda, rinsing under tap water, rinsing and scrubbing under tap water, and more. The results varied depending on the type of produce. Ultimately, researchers concluded that rinsing and brushing under running water was the most effective method overall.<br>
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