How many tons of apples could you pick in Denver’s backyards?

The yards of many Denver homes are full of fruit trees — enough to provide literal tons of food for local communities. For the last six years, Barbara Masoner has led the effort to collect that harvest and ensure it goes to people who need it.

“Last year was our biggest year. We had 11,750 pounds. It was a banner year,” she said last week, as an army of volunteers got to work on a Lakewood yard filled with apples.

Her mission has always been to get spare food to people who need it. Her organization, Grow Local Colorado, spends each autumn gleaning for local food pantries. But, this year, the organization plugged right into a neighborhood that is hungry for produce. The fruit they plucked was delivered to Sun Valley Kitchen as it fed the neighborhood at its annual Harvest Fest last week.