CYMRAEG
Resilient Green Spaces – Productive Community Orchards
Productive Community Orchards harnessed the abundance of community orchards.
The project unlocked the potential of local food and even potential income, showing how carefully planted and tended trees can deliver social, economic and environmental benefits.
Aims
The aim of this project was to establish a thriving network of productive community orchards. We wanted to help new sites by providing new trees, and support established sites with processing and production. Our goal was to bring a step change to community managed fruit production, storage, processing and fruit-based products in Wales.
Outcomes
- Planted a further 1,146 fruit and nut trees across 24 community orchards
- Supported 24 community orchards across Wales
- Provided around £60,000 worth of storage and processing kit and training
- Provided training on storing apples, bottling cider, pasteurising juice and producing fruit leathers
- Convened a Community Orchard Network
- Identified extra support for community businesses taking a product to market
- Built on the success of our 2021 Orchards for Wales Project
Case studies
Environmental benefits
Find out how two orchard sites in Wales are boosting local biodiversity.
Social benefits
From improving health and wellbeing to learning new skills, find out how two orchards are supporting Welsh communities.
Economic benefits
By supplying local produce and sharing equipment with the wider community, two orchards show the economic value of orchards.
Resources
> Find out more about the Community Orchard Network
> See our Introduction to Orchard Management Toolkit in English / Welsh
> Read our 2021 Orchards for Wales report in English / Welsh
> Find out more about starting up a community orchard or fruit garden
Contact us
If you'd like our help connecting with a group who have storage and processing facilities, please contact [email protected]
For enquiries specifically about access to land, please contact the Community Land Advisory Service by emailing [email protected]
About Resilient Green Spaces
Productive Community Orchards was one of six strands of work in the Resilient Green Spaces project. See our Resilient Green Spaces overview to find out more.
This project was funded through the Welsh Government Rural Communities - Rural Development Programme 2014-2020, which is funded by the Welsh Government and the European Union.
Events
Includes our own training events and workshops, and selected events and training run by organisations in the sector we think might be relevant. We aim to share the buzz and keep you informed.