The idea
Community-led, weekly sessions at Long Mead from April to November. Participants will grow a range of wildflower plants for their orchards from seed, gathered from Long Mead, as well as learning orchard management though the season. In the process, they will learn the characteristics of individual plant species, as well as best methods for sowing, germination, potting on, sustaining the plants through the season, planting out etc. They will also learn the process of meadow creation, from botanic surveys and soil testing of their individual sites, to preparation of areas for wildflower seeding by scarifying, raking and rolling.
The programme will show participants effective ways of developing a low-cost inclusive community-based plant propagation programme, that includes working with people with learning disabilities and mental health challenges, using recycled goods as far as possible, gathering and storing seed with few resources and, learning how to create zero miles compost.
What we'll deliver
- Advice and training to 15 communities who received DEFRA Coronation Community Orchard Grants from WODC
- Six months of weekly workshops in orchard meadow creation and management
- Training in orchard management, pruning and propagation
- Rare wildflower seeds gathered from Long Mead Local Wildlife for propagation wildflowers
- Awareness raising of environment and climate priorities including the importance of meadows and orchards for these
- Training in using recycled materials
- Training in how to create zero miles compost
- Learning about creating inclusive communities
- Hands on working with people with learning disabilites, mental and physical health challenges, recent immigrants
- An expanded LMF tool library - enabling other communities borrow LMF's equipment including apple press
Why it's a great idea
The DEFRA funded Coronation Community Orchard grant included funds for fruit trees and tree guards and stakes. This is not enough to enable communities to turn their orchards into biodiverse ecosystems to replace the 60% of traditional orchards lost since the 1950s and make them benefit wildlife as well as people. Most significantly, without training in orchard management and formative pruning, communities will not be able to ensure that the trees grow properly and fruit reliably. A conversation between Catriona Bass and Tatiana Bell led to DEFRA agreeing to widen its criteria, part-funding community training. This will ensure that the community orchards benefit both people and wildlife, it will enable communities to develop inclusive environmental projects, it will enhance connectivity between the district council and community environmental groups. It will enhance well-being, including for vulnerable and marginalised people. People will learn to recycle. LMF tool library will expand
Steps to get it done
- Buy apple crusher and press
- Sowing a range of meadow species in trays
- Potting on seedlings
- Visiting each orchard and offering advice and training in taking soil samples
- Understanding how to keep plants alive through drought and deluge
- Practicing summer pruning of fruit trees
- Understanding bud-grafting of historic trees (late Aug - early Sept)
- Understanding and managing the fruit harvest
- Learning by doing: meadow creation from seed in each community orchard (sept)
- Planting out of hand-propagated plants for the orchard meadow understorey
- Training in doing a baseline botanical survey
- Learning how to harvest and make fruit juice
- New Fruit Scratter enables vulnerable adult to join in juicing avoiding use of knives
- New Fruit Press enables more participants to join in the process
- Fruit press and scratter and augur join Long Mead Foundation's equipment library open to other groups and saving carbon
