A free online platform is helping Luxembourg residents rescue traditional orchard fruit from going to waste while building community connections.
What is Kierfchen And Why it Matters
Until the middle of the 20th century, meadow orchards were the main source of fruit throughout Luxembourg. Today, most of this locally grown, unsprayed fruit goes unharvested and unused. In response to this challenge, the online platform ‘Kierfchen’ was developed by Natur & Geopark Mëllerdall. The project is financed by the Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Biodiversity, with the goal of encouraging the use of this fruit and actively counteracting food waste at the local level. It is an interactive platform aiming to make it easy for anyone to share, find, or use orchard resources so that valuable fruit is consumed by our local communities.
How It Works
The main goal of kierfchen.lu is to bring together everyone involved with orchard meadows and related local food networks. It uses a free, interactive map to connect people across the country. Since Spring 2025, the map covers the entire country. Now, residents anywhere in Luxembourg can post listings or browse offers. Whether you have a single apple tree in your garden or manage a community orchard, you can participate. The platform connects people who have surplus fruit with those searching for local produce, creating a direct link between supply and demand.
Who Can Join
Anyone can use kierfchen.lu. No special qualifications are required. Smallholders, orchard owners, community groups, home gardeners, restaurants, and residents are all welcome! If you are looking to harvest, share, buy, swap, or collaborate around orchard fruit and related resources, this platform is for you. Even individuals with just one tree are encouraged to get involved and help reduce waste while strengthening local food networks.
What You Will Find on the Map
The platform hosts a wide variety of listings beyond just fruit. You will discover fruits and nuts available for harvest or purchase, regional producers, restaurants sourcing local ingredients, beekeepers, livestock keepers, harvesting equipment for loan or rent, conservation advice centers, and upcoming events. Kierfchen.lu also promotes the ‘Gielt Band’ campaign from the Ministry of Agriculture, where trees marked with a yellow ribbon signal that the fruit may be harvested by anyone. It is a one-stop resource for everything related to Luxembourg’s orchard landscape.
Currently, the platform is available in German, with translations into other languages in progress.
How to Get Involved
Ready to make a difference? Here’s how you can start:
Post your tree or harvest offer: Have surplus fruit? Let others know by adding a free listing to the map.
Search the map for nearby listings: Whether you are looking for apples, plums, or beekeeping space, explore what is available across Luxembourg.
Share the platform with your network: Help neighbours and friends discover kierfchen.lu through social media and word of mouth.
This article is based on a conversation between Shashi Bhushan (Web Editor for Foodsharing Luxembourg asbl) and Julie Plumer (Chargée du projet, Natura 2000 verbindet, Natur & Geopark Mëllerdall).