From eco- to bio-, with a bit of agro- in between, our Finance and Operations Manager, Kathryn, helps us decipher the basics of food growing terminology. Kathryn joined The Orchard Project last year. She explains why growing plants is so important for her wellbeing and why she’s delving into Forest Gardening. I first became interested […]
Blog
6 Reasons to Plant Fruit Trees
It’s National Tree Week, and that means lots of people are donning their boots to plant whips and saplings. Increasing the UK’s tree coverage is vital for carbon capture, cleaner air and shade coverage as the climate warms. But have you considered fruit trees for your tree-planting mission?
The Velojuicer – an apple revolution
Here is an in-depth look at the Velojuicer, our pedal-powered apple juicer. A lightweight, mobile, all-in-one machine that scrats, presses, and juices apples using only human power and a bit of good humour. In a year when we can’t celebrate Apple Day as usual, here’s a wee taste of how we hope it can be […]
Why you should visit the National Fruit Collection
(…when safe & feasible to). What is Brogdale Collections? Brogdale Collections manages public access to the UK’s National Fruit Collection (NFC) at Brogdale Farm near Faversham in Kent. It is the largest collection of temperate fruit in one place in the world! Row upon row of fruit trees and grape vines make up its treasure […]
Racial Justice and Community Orchards
How does racial inequality manifest within public greenspaces? The accessibility of natural spaces is not just a matter of social status; race matters too. Our CEO and Operations Director reflect on how race matters within greenspaces and remind us that diversity always wins in the natural world. – By Kath Rosen and Ella Hashemi. As […]
A (Brief) History of Cider in the UK
The United Kingdom drinks more cider than any other country in the world. In fact, it drinks more cider than all the other countries combined. You could say we like our cider. Perhaps almost as much as we like our tea. Cider’s popularity has fluctuated through the ages: there was a time when cider was […]
Locking-down is Slowing-down: A new, national appreciation for nature’s rhythms?
“The rhythm we adopt when tending to plants is the perfect antidote to the instant gratification and high-speed consumerism rife within our pre-pandemic society.” – Jo Hooper and Nicole Thomas reflect on the recent surge in gardening and what this might mean for our wellbeing. We’ve living in a ‘Crop-Growing Revolution’, according to The Guardian. […]
Which Bloomin’ Blossom is it? Our guide to blossom timing
We may be spending most of our time indoors at the moment, but there are still opportunities to enjoy spring unfolding its sequence of fruit tree blossom. Whether you’re looking at street trees from your window, in your garden, or in the park during your exercise walks, now is the time to relish beautiful blossom, […]
The Mums who planted more than a seed to unite their local community
Meet Emma, Rachel and Janet: the mums with a mission! Along with other local mothers from Sale in South Manchester, they set out to improve their local park and ended up bringing almost 1,000 people from the community together in honour of apples. Their much-loved orchard is now a very special community asset, which will […]
A Sign of Things to Come? – Inspiration for Orchard Signage
The Orchard Project team is often asked, ‘what type of orchard signage is best?’. Recently in Edinburgh, community orchard groups set out to answer this question. Seeking ways to improve the signage in different community orchards, a collective embarked on a road trip in search of inspiration. Our Edinburgh Project Manager, Chris, tells us more: […]