Picking up dropped nuts as a service

[adenblue]

Wow what a thread title.

Anyway, when I was house hunting last year, I noticed many of the older homes I looked at had nut trees in the yard. Most of these had obviously not been picked or cleaned up after, and nuts were lying on the ground for the taking. Maybe laziness, or some other reason. Who knows.

Because I am addicted to eating cheaply, I thought about putting an ad on craigslist offering to clean up fallen nuts just as a way of getting some free food. But I realized I know absolutely nothing about picking nuts (or other fruit, much). Is this even a good idea? Do nuts go bad after they've been lying on the ground for awhile? Is it too much of a liability to go on somebody's property and clean up their fallen food for consumption?

Just wondering if this is a crazy idea.

[whiterabbit454]

well when i was a kid we would go visit grandpa at the cemetary while there we would gleen all the black walnuts us kids would climb the tree and the adults would pick them up off the ground you dont want the nut if the schell is cracked but otherwise ok need to find out if they used any kind of spray on the tree i say go for it!

[Toads tool]

I can't see people that are too lazy to pick up there nuts being on line or even visiting craigslist.
If you want the nuts, you are going to have to go up and ask the home owner. At least one. Then through word of mouth and instant reference you should garner plenty of customers.
There is never anything wrong with saving food from being wasted.

[Jennifer L.]

So, how big a herd of squirrels do you run?

Jennifer

[EDDIE BUCK]

I knew this elderly lady you would see around peoples fields an yards picking up pecans an walnuts and even corn left in the fields. She didn't need food that bad but she always did it until she got unable with health problems. And she could cook the best pecan pies and black walnut cakes around. Eddie

Picking up dropped nuts as a service

I believe Angie over to the Survival Forum might be interested in contracting your services.

.....Alan

[Wildwood Flower]

Actually I used to do it all of the time when my kids were little. Where I lived at the time (Salem, Oregon) there were many apartment buildings built in what used to be orchards. I'd pick beautiful pears and filberts that would just go to waste otherwise.

Just ask. Many times it is older people who can no longer pick the fruit and hate to see it go to waste. You might offer to give them part of what you pick. Many times they just wants a few for themselves.

Just be polite and friendly. You might make some new friends.

As far as nuts go, they're usually picked in the late fall--and walnuts have a "fruit" around them that drops off. Be prepared to get your hands stained black. You'll have to lay the nuts out on newspaper to dry out after you pick them up.

[Quint]

When we lived in town for a time when I was a kid we had butternut trees. We didn't particularly like butternuts so we just raked them up and disposed of them with the fall leaves or just left them lay. A fellow came by one day and asked if we would mind if he picked them up and we told him to help himself. He would come every year that we lived there. Always gave me a dollar for helping him.

I learned recently butternuts are nearly an endangered species now. Some disease is killing all of them. I don't particularly like butternuts but I'm going to get several next year and plant them here on the farm just for the heck of it.

[adenblue]

Thanks for the interesting replies. During my garage saleing this morning I found 5 bushel baskets. Bought 'em just in case.

I did read up on the black walnut/permanent hand dye issue. I don't really care but I'm sure I'd get all kinds of smart aleck comments from my co-workers.

Oh, and Jennifer L - I have 7 huge old trees on <1/5 an acre, I could live purely on squirrel if I wanted to.

[BethW]

I'd love it if someone would come over and pick up all our walnuts. I don't like walnuts and don't think they're worth the headache to get the nutmeat out anyway. We spend a fair amount of time raking up the dratted things every year. Come on over

[Oldcountryboy]

I have kids who love to pick up walnuts and cash them in. But no worry, if we miss any the squirrels don't mind picking them up for us.