Annex E: Script for Contacting the Tree-Owner and Editing Property Information#

To edit the property’s information, click on the “Edit Property” button at the upper right of a property record.

Below is a script you may use when contacting the tree-owner (either by phone or by email). Details about editing the property record are provided within the contents of the script itself. As always, we ask that you help encourage success in future seasons by documenting as much information in the property and harvest records as you can. The more the better!

You may choose to contact the tree-owner two times if you prefer. The first time could be as early as you’d like – mainly to ask for authorization, gather the most pertinent information, and ask for an estimate on when the fruit will be ripe. The follow-up call or email could be to schedule the actual harvest and get more detailed information. If the tree-owner authorizes a harvest, you do have the option of asking them to just fill out the online form themselves. While this might seem to save you time, not only are you depending on the tree- owner to follow up quickly, but once they’ve submitted the form, it will still require validation from a core member. For a harvest that’s still several weeks away, the wait may not be an issue. But in the case of quickly ripening fruit, there’s a clear advantage to getting these questions answered over the phone, or even by email. Plus, you may be able to schedule the harvest during the same conversation!

Please remember that you not only represent the collective as a whole, but you will most likely be the first person contacting the tree-owner this year, and it’s possible that it’s been several years since the last time a pick-leader or core member contacted them. So please show extra patience, understanding and appreciation. 😊

Please feel free to modify the script as you like. Just keep in mind, the more information you collect and record, the better prepared you’ll be, and the more it helps us in future seasons!

You: Hello, this is (you) calling from Les Fruits Défendus, may I please speak with (tree owner)?
- Tree owner: Huh?
  - You: Les Fruits Défendus is a collective in Montreal that organizes volunteer pickers to harvest fruit trees in the city. We share the collected fruit among the volunteer pickers, tree owner and a local community organization
You: I see that your tree was (last harvested in year) or (never harvested). I’m calling to ask if you’d be interested in having our collective harvest your fruit this summer.
- Tree owner: Yes please [skip to question 3]
- Tree owner: Not sure… [continue below]
  - You: It’s great way to make sure that your fruit doesn’t go to waste! We give one third of the harvested fruit to you, one third to a local food security organization, and we divide the last third among the volunteers who harvest the fruit. We’re all volunteers and it’s completely free.
- Tree owner: No thanks [continue below]
  - You: I understand. Can we contact you next year to ask if you’d like to participate or do you want to be removed from our list?
    - Tree owner: Yes, contact me next year
      - You: OK, we’ll call or email you next year [Update Additional Information section]
    - Tree owner: No thanks, please take me off the list
      - You: OK, do you mind sharing with me why you do not want to participate?
        
        Tree owner: Bad experience
        
        You: I’m sorry to hear that.
        
        Responses to (some) possible scenarios:
        
        Fruit left on tree: That was likely because it was out of reach. Pickers’ safety is a priority and we tell volunteers to leave fruit if they are higher than what our ladder can reach.
        
        LFD didn’t arrive in time: Fruit can ripen faster than expected. We do our best to respond to calls requesting a harvest right away, however, we entirely volunteer-run and there are times when we are unable to organize folks quickly enough.
        
        If the tree-owner doesn’t want to continue with Les Fruits Défendus:
        
        You: I’m sorry you’ll be leaving the collective, but I understand. I’ll remove your tree from our database. Have a good day! Bye.
        
        (End)
        
        [Un-check “Is Active” box to change property to “Inactive”. Please add any notes about why in the Additional Information section.]
You: I want to be sure that the information we have in our system is correct in order to make organizing a harvest easier for you and the volunteers this summer. This should take no more than 10 minutes.
You: I show that you have (number and type of trees, vines) is this correct?
- Tree owner: Yes [skip to next question]
- Tree owner: No [continue below]
  
  [Update the property fruit type(s), then proceed to next question.]
You: Could you (confirm or tell me) the height of the lowest hanging fruit?
- If the height is above 12ft for cherry, Saskatoon berry or grapes or above 16ft for other trees…
  
  You: It sounds like most of the fruit may be beyond our reach but I can’t say for sure without looking at the tree. Would you be able to send me a photo (with object or person for scale)?
  
  (For instructions on uploading photos to the property record, please consult the Harvest Guide.)
[Update the property “Height of lowest fruits”, if necessary.]

You: What is the approximate maturity date of each tree (date range)?

[Update “Approximate maturity date”, if necessary.]
You: Where is/are the tree(s) located (if blank)?

[Update “Trees location”, if necessary.]
You: Can we still access the tree(s) by (method indicated)?

[Update “Trees accessibility”, if necessary. Check the box for “Publicly accessible” if the tree/vine is not located within a walled area, and can be accessed by the general public. ]
You: Do we still (still not) have permission to access the tree through the neighbour’s property?

[Update “Access to neighbouring terrain if needed” checkbox, if necessary.]
You: Do you still have (or do you now have) a ladder than can be used during the harvest? What kind and how tall is it?

[Update “A ladder is available…” checkbox. Add extra info in “Additional Information” box.]
You: Does the tree produce every year?
- If so, check the box for “Produces fruit every year”.
- If not…
  - You: what frequency and when did the tree last produce fruit?
    
    [Make sure the box is unchecked and add info in “Additional information” box.]
You: Can the tree be harvested in one-go or will it need multiple visits? What I mean is, does the fruit mature all at once or over a series of weeks?

[Add info in “Additional information” box.]
You: How many people would it take to harvest the tree in two hours?

[Update “Required pickers on average”, if necessary. This number doesn’t include pick-leader.]
If you want, you can go ahead and ask questions that are normally asked when scheduling a harvest.
- You: Will you need to be present at the time of harvest?
- You: Would you like to participate in the harvesting of fruit?
- You: Would you like to keep your third of the fruit?
  
  [Update this information in the three corresponding checkboxes of the Harvest record.]
You: Let me confirm that the information is correct in our system (if never been harvested; or any blanks in contact info)
- address
- email
- cell phone / home phone
- contact name
  
  [You may make updates to the address information here, but you won’t be able to update other contact information for the tree-owner. Add this info in “Additional information” box and please ask a core member to update this.]
You: Is says you’re located in (X neighbourhood). Is that correct?

[If not, select the neighbourhood from the drop-down list. If the one you’re looking for isn’t available, select “Other” and write in the neighbourhood in “Additional Information.]

Important note

If a person has changed address, a new property record should be created.
You: Can you tell me what is the best time for a volunteer to reach you? What is your preferred method of communication?

[Add info in “Additional information” box.]
You: Do you want to receive more information from us? Do you already receive our newsletters? Interested?

[If they’re interested, please send their contact information to info@lesfruitsdefendus.org so that we can put them on our mailing list and subscribe them to our newsletter.]
You: Here is my contact info. Can you please contact me when it looks like the fruits are around 10-15days from being ripe?

[If it’s already close to that time, you may ask if it’s possible to at least tentatively schedule the harvest.]
You: Thank you for your time! Have a great day and we’ll be in touch!

(End)

Please be sure to change the property status to “Authorized”. (If the property has multiple trees or vines, and the tree-owner authorizes harvesting of some but not all trees/vines, please set it to “Authorized”, but specifically indicate which trees/vines are off-limits in “Additional Information”.)

If the property had previously been marked as “Inactive”, please check the “Is Active” box to show that it’s now “Active” and that we have permission to contact them in future years. (Of course, the property should have already been “Validated”, and should remain this way.) Before you finish updating the property record and click “Submit”, please check that a “Publishable location” is included:

Publishable location: This text will be visible to the general public once the Harvest is published to the public calendar. DO NOT include any private information in this field such as the exact address of the property. Instead, please choose a nearby intersection and type in its two street names (e.g. “Roy & Coloniale”)

After making all necessary updates to the property record, click “Submit”. Once the harvest is scheduled, you’ll need to continue with the remaining steps for planning a pick, starting with the section “Find a beneficiary organization that will receive the fruit” in the Pre-Pick guide.

Many thanks and the best of luck to you in planning and leading your harvest! 😊😊😊