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Ok, so the weather may have turned, the central heating is on and your winter clothes have come out of the cupboard, but all is not doom and gloom. The autumn brings with it a whole host of it’s own delights, and these can help us feel less blue about the nights drawing closer. One of the great joys of the British autumn is the abundance of some of our own great fruit and vegetables, and what is more you don’t have to spend a fortune to get hold of them. The countryside is full of hedgerows teaming with blackberries and there are plenty of apple and pear trees that are on communal ground, so you are free to pick them, or should I say ’scrump them’, to use the traditional term. The variety of apples available is astonishing in the UK, and yet we have actually lost a huge amount of the varieties we used to have. This is tragic but unsurprising given that we have lost approximately 60 per cent of our orchards in the last 50 years.
However despite this sad news there is hope, as there is a growing movement of community orchards, whereby old and sometimes endangered orchards are saved and looked after by the local community, or indeed sometimes new orchards are created. They may be owned or leased for or by the community (or held by agreement) by a community group, parish council, or by a local authority or voluntary body. As well as enjoying the place, local people can share the harvest or profit from its sale, also taking responsibility for any work in the orchard. Not only are the orchards great for fruit but they offer many additional benefits, such as being a great home for wildlife, providing an outdoor learning centre, and helping build community spirit.
Not only this but orchards are a great source for the annual Apple Day, which is being held on October 21st this year. Apple Day was introduced by Common Ground in Covent Garden in 1990, and was subsequently launched nationwide in 1991. The aim being to celebrate the variety of apples in the UK, and show the positive changes that apple growing could affect.
For more information on community orchards and to find your nearest one visit: www.england-in-particular.info/orchards/ or www.commonground.org.uk/appleday/
~ Celtic Meaning of the Apple Tree
Be sure to check back on 21st October when we will have a selection of exclusive Vegan Apple recipes brought to you by Rolanda at EVOLVE! campaigns
