ATLANTA (August 23, 2022) – The Atlanta Braves are Pitching in for the Planet by creating 20 community orchards across metro Atlanta in partnership with One Tree Planted, Players for the Planet, Food Well Alliance, and The Giving Grove. These neighborhood-based orchards will increase access to fresh, healthy food for urban residents while expanding tree canopy and promoting environmental sustainability.

The Giving Grove and Food Well Alliance will help plant a total of 300 fruit trees, which will produce more than 13,000 servings of healthy fruit each year. These community orchards will absorb storm runoff water, preventing flash flooding and protecting the fresh water supply, while also helping reduce urban air temperatures through carbon sequestration and the creation of shade. More than 100 volunteers will be engaged in this project.

For each site, the project will train local residents to serve as volunteer orchard stewards and will provide the plant material, supplies, training and tools necessary to maintain the trees and grow a bountiful harvest of fruits, berries and nuts for the neighborhood.

Schools, community groups and urban agriculture organizations interested in hosting an orchard site are invited to apply at Braves.com/sustain. A panel of community representatives coordinated by Food Well Alliance will evaluate and rank applications.

This project is proposed and led by the Atlanta Braves, and is made possible thanks to reforestation nonprofit One Tree Planted and grassroots community orcharding leaders, The Giving Grove and Food Well Alliance.

The Atlanta Braves have provided a grant to support the planting of 300 fruit trees throughout local communities across metro Atlanta from now to June 2023.

“We are thrilled to pitch in with Players for the Planet, One Tree Planted, The Food Well Alliance and The Giving Grove to bring new orchards to communities across the Greater Atlanta Area,” said Danielle Bedasse, Senior Director of Community Affairs, Atlanta Braves and Executive Director, Atlanta Braves Foundation. “This initiative will not only help create a healthier, more sustainable Braves Country; it will also ensure sustainable sources of fresh food to combat food insecurity in our communities. We are proud to contribute to the ‘City in the Forest’ by planting these trees and hope that these orchards continue to grow and blossom for generations to come.”

“This project is a meaningful step forward to ensuring all communities have equitable access to the benefits of trees - from mitigating the effects of climate change by reducing urban heat to providing fresh food and healthy recreational spaces like community orchards,” said Tanner Haid, Senior Manager of Urban Forestry at One Tree Planted. “We are proud of this partnership, and look forward to supporting more opportunities to plant trees and build community in Atlanta.”

“This new partnership with the Atlanta Braves and One Tree Planted will take our orcharding projects to an entirely new level,” said Kate Conner, Executive Director of Food Well Alliance. “It will enable us to plant hundreds of fruit bearing trees, vines and bushes across metro Atlanta. These orchards will provide opportunities for rich social connection and become reliable sources of healthy food in neighborhoods that are in most need of access to fresh produce.”

Braves fans can learn more about this initiative and the Braves’ additional environmental and sustainability efforts at www.Braves.com/sustain.