In the past few years, through my work with the Commonwealth Orchard, I’ve has been encouraging planting of trees and orchards across Scotland, and I’m delighted to be able to say that it’s an idea that is literally now, bearing fruit. Over the past days I’ve picked my first plum of the season, (an Early Rivers, and the apples and other fruit seem to be coming on well.
We have been involved in planting over 150 school orchards and dozens of community orchards amounting to thousands of trees. One of the interesting aspects of this is also how the planting of an initial orchard has led in various places to other grow your own initiatives. A good example is the Urban Roots project in south Glasgow, which evolved from an orchard planting undertaken in 2007.
I was struck at a recent Scottish Orchards Gathering by some research quoted by John Butterworth, which shows that the most significant thing people can do to reduce their carbon footprint, is to grow some of their own food. Apart from reducing food miles it also leads people to changing their behaviour, and to reducing waste. And I find from my point of view is it’s fun!
My interest in the contribution that orchard planting can make to reducing carbon output was increased when I was working with Dr Jim Paterson, who was working on a CCF funded orchard project in Tarbert,on the West Coast of Scotland. We supplied around 300 trees – selected to be suitable for the climate, and including many heritage varieties – and gave advice on planting a formative pruning.
Jim said, “ For us, the Community Orchard project was extremely successful – and it really the key that opened the door to the community. People suddenly got really interested in the CCF project – it wasn’t just a couple of guys in beards monitoring energy use – it was a real winner in terms of getting people involved. Even months later we are still getting emails about the fruit trees and there’s a lot of competition between people how much fruit they are getting on their trees. It’s been an extremely positive part of the project – great value for money – and giving back a great deal more than just fruit. It’s really got people involved and talking.
Tarbert Orchard worked on the basis that trees could go where the community wanted them – the doctors surgery, the local school and various gardens. The Tarbert Orchard has helped to galvanise a small community on the west coast, but that is just a start. The popularity of the orchard project has led on to more ambitious plans for an Entire Kintyre Orchard – which links neatly into the bigger plans of Scottish Orchards to create a patchwork of orchards across Scotland.
This is of course just one of dozens of similar projects across Scotland. Jim’s calculations show that the Tarbert Orchard will reduce carbon emissions by tons, and also produce tonnes of delicious local healthy food in the process. It’s carbon reductions that are good enough to eat. It’s fun, and it’s a key to a fruitful future.
If you’d like to find out more – Jim Paterson’s report is on the www.scottishorchards.com website – and if you’d like help in developing your local orchard project, sourcing trees, or training on fruitful skills contact John Hancox, 0778 606 3918
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The Prince’s Mayday Network is convened by Business in the Community
