Steve & Lois Webster raised their family in the home at 1815 S Yakima. It is a double lot, with an orchard and garden adjacent to the home.  The Websters eventually moved but retain the property, renting out the home and graciously allowing community use of their beloved orchard.  In 2015, Tacoma Urban Land signed a 5-year lease with the Websters for use of the orchard.  At the same time, TULT also signed a Memo of Understanding (MOU) with Harvest Pierce County (part of Pierce Conservation District).  

 

Since completion of the MOU, the orchard has been used for classes and workshops on the proper care of fruit trees; geared towards homeowners.  The orchard is also used for training of Harvest Pierce County Gleaning Project Volunteers - pruning & care classes for volunteers and home owners who use that knowledge to improve their home-grown fruit that will be donated to the project – improving fruit tree health, fruit quality, fruit quantity and ultimately, increased volume to area food banks.

 

Fruit that is donated to the Harvest Pierce County Gleaning Project is then passed on to area food banks

 

The east end of the land is used as a community garden, where neighbors grow vegetables.

 

The orchard is a visual greenspace in an area of Tacoma that is becoming more densely populated.  The fruit trees contribute to the tree canopy in the City of Tacoma, which has a goal of reaching 30% canopy by 2030. 

 

Potential Future Orchard Programs include high school agriculture training (staff from one Tacoma high school has shown interest in exploring this for the 2021-2022 school year.)