While visions of apple picking in an orchard aren’t typically associated with Chicago, a new organization is hoping to add this pastime to the metropolitan area.

Chicago Rarities Orchard Project (CROP) is an organization dedicated to preserving rare and endangered fruits in Chicago, and their goal for the next couple of years is to build urban orchards around the city.

On Dec. 8, the group’s first fundraiser will be held at Danny’s Tavern, 1951 W. Dickens Ave., where half of the night’s profits will go toward the organization’s first orchard.

Founder Dave Snyder was on a bus with a friend as they traveled the city from the North Side to the South Side when they started brainstorming ideas of what to do with the empty lots. The idea of building orchards came up, and now Snyder is trying to bring it to life.

“Our goal is to have some kind of space within the next year to 18 months,” Snyder said. “It’s a long process. We’re going to work with an organization called NeighborSpace that’s willing to help us.”

The upstart cost and maintenance costs of the orchard will depend on the site they use, its size and how much preparation is needed before they can plant. Snyder said CROP is hoping to raise $2,000 by spring.

The last couple of months have been spent doing research for the steps involved in growing rare kinds of fruit in an urban environment and how to preserve them.

“Chicago is a center of urban gardening,” Snyder said. “We have the Center for Green Technology, and bee hives on top of City Hall. Another helpful thing is that we have a lot of empty lot space to work with.”

A group of 10 people are currently working on the project, including Erin Foley, an artist and educator in Chicago. Her focus is fundraising and establishing a nonprofit status for the organization.

She said unless CROP raises a lot of money, the orchards won’t be available for the next five to 10 years because they will start off with apple seedlings, which would take longer to grow. Once the spring comes, she plans to take her students to help out.

“It’s a nice way to be a part of something that won’t be corporate,” she said. “It’s important for a younger generation to gain the knowledge and history of important things in our environment, so later they could sustain the lives of these trees.”

Growing fruits likes apples, pears and cherries in Chicago’s climate would not be a problem. David Dolak, an environmental science instructor at Columbia, said fruits like these are usually grown in cold weather. Although he has never helped create an orchard, he said he thinks this is a great idea for the city.

“It might be a good way for poor people to have access to it,” Dolak said. “As long as there’s decent soil and plenty of water, it’s possible to have an orchard in Chicago.”

Dolak said one of the reasons why there haven’t been orchards in the city might be because spaces are expensive to own and rent.

The organization hopes to start off with one orchard and later expand to other locations around the city. Snyder said instead of building condos or retail space, the city should concentrate on making places like this.

The organizers are looking forward to having the orchard be a place where anyone can walk in and learn about extinct fruits and have somewhere different to have fun in the city.