Autumn/Winter 2007

Good Practice Guide for Orchard Project Management

The first draft for this Guide has just beensent out for consultation. Thank you toeveryone who provided information andadvice. It will be printed and be availablein electronic format on the Sustainwebsite by the end of January 2008.There will also be a dissemination eventin January, but the location and dateare yet to be arranged. Suggestionsare welcome!

Leader+ OrchardCo-operation Project

NewsletterWelcome to our Autumn edition of Leader+ Orchards

newsletter. We hope you all had a successful andenjoyable season for plums, damsons, quinces, cherries

and cobnuts this year and, of course, a great apple dayand harvest!

Project officer Ida Fabrizio, has spent this year travelling to the participatingLeader+ areas across England, so we have lots of updates. We have also included

information on some orchard projects in other European countries, such as Germany, Luxembourg and Belgium.

Leader+ Network meeting July 2007This second network meeting was held in Ledbury,Herefordshire, and was kindly hosted by Natural England. Itwas very well attended and lively, and was followed by asite visit to the beautiful Tidnor Wood Orchard, nearHereford. See page 8 for details about Tidnor Wood OrchardTrust. The minutes from this meeting are available on Sustain'swebsite www.sustainweb.org/pdf/11_07_07_orchard.pdf

National Biodiversity Action Plan agreed for orchardsIn August this year, traditional orchards were approved bythe government as priority habitat under the BiodiversityAction Plan. This status means greater consideration will begiven to orchards in planning and development decisions,environmental grant schemes and external funding. Formore information on BAP www.ukbap.org.uk

Natural England Technical Advice Notes for TraditionalOrchard ManagementThese are now completed and are available for free todownload from Natural England. They are documentsTIN012-TIN021 http://naturalengland.twoten.com/NaturalEnglandShop/

Orchard photo sharing www.flickr.com/orchardsSee photos of Ida's orchard visits this year, which includesimages of cherry orchards in Mid Kent Downs, Meg Game'sKentish Cobnut orchard and celebratingApple Day 2007 in Devon.

ContentsPAGE 2 TeignbridgeCider with Roadies had a successful tour around Devonand Somerset, with Pomona the travelling apple press.

PAGE 3 Somerset Level and Moors Somerset Orchard Link isnow a co-operative called Somerset Orchards. The newbusiness will sell cider apple juice this winter.

PAGE 4 North West Devon Leader+will be working with Orchards Live to administer new grantsto create and restore local traditional orchards.

PAGE 5 Mid Kent DownsThe Orchards For Everyone project has been busy thisyear, including developing a schools pack.

PAGE 6 Herefordshire Rivers Herefordshire CommunityOrchard Evaluation Project, spent this summer assessingbiodiversity value in the orchards, where some rare speciesof wildlife were discovered.

PAGE 7 Cumbria Fells and DalesThe Damson Development Project has now finished itsreport with some very useful recommendations fordeveloping the local damson industry.

Cumbria Orchard Link recruited more members, and has asecond orchard group and another apple press for theSouth Lakeland area.

PAGE 8 Orchard sponsorship schemes and CommunitySupported Agriculture. These are two inspiring initiativesbased in Herefordshire, where orchards are run selfsufficiently with the help of tree sponsorship and a"cropshare" scheme.

PAGE 9 & 10 Orchards in EuropeOrchard initiatives in Germany and Luxembourg

are trying to save traditional orchards bybringing them back into the economy.

PAGE 11 Leader+ Wallonie (Belgium)This Leader+ funded orchard co-

operation project is working tosafeguard traditional orchards inthe Wallonia area of Belgium.

Over the last 17 years the CommonPlayers have taken newexperiences though the media ofdrama, education and interactiveperformances, into people'scommunities to engage, stimulateand help create new communityrelationships and events. Cider withRoadies is the latest of theseprojects, funded with grants fromLeader+ and Heritage Lotteryamongst others, conceived torekindle local interest andenthusiasm for apples, orchardsand different apple uses.

There are three elements workingtogether to create the overallproject: First, people juice applesduring an afternoon, in acommunity space, culminating in aperformance of a specially-writtenpiece called The Big Squeeze; thestory of Pip the apple and hermeeting with Mr Badfinger, the fruitexpert.

Second, our Apple Educator,Heather Fallows offers one of threeart-based days to a Key Stage 2class in local primary schools. The

children can taste local apples andcompare them to supermarketimported varieties, also producingart-work, poetry and prose to becollected into a book at the end ofthe project.

The third element to the project isthe Apple Animateur, AdamMontague. He tours with the press,encouraging everyone to getinvolved in the juicing process andfostering new contacts for thewider role of the Animateur; tobring together local apple growersand producers with localbusinesses to explore opportunitiesfor working together. He also talksabout how to identify apples, aswell as being on hand to answerquestions on all things 'appley'.

On with the showSo, at the beginning of September,off we went armed with our uniquetouring apple press, a well-rehearsed show and the promise ofcommunity apples for pressing. Theweather was immensely generous,this being an entirely outside event,so all ages came along and juiced

their apples. People were veryinterested in the project andregaled us with stories fromchildhood, local traditions andtales and shared family secrets forbrewing the best cider. We learnedof successes and failures withpruning, growing and graftingapples. Adam was able to givemuch valuable advice and will begoing back to communities to runcourses on topics such as orchardmanagement.

We are exploring working with oneMid Devon couple who have twoacres of land, all organic, who arekeen to plant an orchard. WithAdam's expertise and theirenthusiasm we plan to record eachstage of the process for inclusion inan exhibition which will tour withthe press during autumn 2008.

Twenty four communities wereinvolved this year, ranging fromFarmers Markets and a HeritageMuseum to community orchardsand local schools and we havebeen thrilled and inspired by thisdiversity. Cider with Roadiescontinues during 2008, with ourApple Animateur working on aninteractive apple website andinvestigating ways of making ourtraditional orchards economicallyviable, to help preserve thisvaluable habitat and part of ourrural heritage. Two new pieces ofdrama are also being written forperformance in schools and atcommunity feasts during theautumn.

" Excellent all round.Activities, set and musicsuperb. Information talk waswell received too. Peopleasked if we could make thisand annual event."Land Heritage, Hittisleigh, Devon

If you would like to know moreplease keep in touch via theirwebsite www.ciderwithroadies.org

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Cider with Roadies

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On the road again - with a travellingperformance to follow their apple press.Mary Richards of Common Players reports.

" With the pressures of life thissqueeze was a great wayto spend an afternoon." Audience member in Ilsington, Devon

Teignbridge Leader+

Adam Montague Pressing Juice

Somerset Orchards (previously Somerset Orchard Link)began in 2003 as a group of small-scale orchard ownerstrying to find independent markets for their cider appleswhen they lost their contracts with the large cidercompanies. A steering group was formed in 2004 with thesole purpose of finding an economic use for cider apples inthese orchards to help sustain economic, social andenvironmental benefits for the area.

During last year's season the 20-strong steering group didmarket research (including consumer tastings) to identifyfavourite varieties for an apple juice. This research identifiedpopular varieties which are now being marketed this winter.Some 3000 bottles are being produced under contractwhich will be sold via Somerset Local Food Direct, an online,local delivery scheme. A new variety of cider apple juice isalso undergoing trials from this year's crop.

Somerset Orchards is submitting an application to Food fromBritain for a Protected Geographical Indication certification(PGI) for Somerset Apple Juice. A successful application willprotect Somerset's apple heritage and help market thejuice. A previous enquiry about registering Somerset Cider,failed because 'Somerset Cider' is already used as a brandname, despite the fact that the product does not containSomerset grown apples!

Somerset Orchard Link has been renamed SomersetOrchards and is working with English Food and FarmingPartnership to become legally registered as a company.They have become a co-operative, and an internalstructure and management roles will ensure the smoothrunning of the business. The area covered by SomersetOrchards will be extended to the Northern Somerset Levels.2008 will also see improvements to distribution and transportand research into the demand for small local apple juicebottles at Somerset B&Bs and pubs.

For more information, contactElaine Spencer-White at Somerset Food LinksEmail: elainesw@foodlinks.org.ukWebsite: www.levelsbest.co.uk/orchards.html

SomersetOrchardsSomerset Orchards is now a co-operative and sells ciderapple juice from their traditional orchards

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Somerset Level and Moors Leader+

Somerset Orchard's cider apple juice.Photo Somerset Orchards

Extra funding for North Devon'sOrchards was announced this yearto restore and create traditionalorchards. Individuals, communitygroups or businesses are eligible forthe grants, which can coveractivities such as buying trees andtree guards, doing tree surgery andbuying signs, leaflets and publicliability insurance.

Ben Totterdell, of the Coast andCountryside Service said: "Byencouraging the planting of neworchards and the restoration of oldones, we can ensure that thisimportant part of our local heritagehas a healthy future. Traditionalvarieties of fruit offer an amazingrange of taste and aroma, so oftenmissing from the standardisedsupermarket ones."

North Devon Coastal CountrysideService (NDCCS) and OrchardsLive are helping to implement theproject, providing practical adviceand guidance on planting,pruning, suitable varieties andaftercare. They are also suggestingsuitable local businesses forapplicants, for tasks such as treesurgery. The NDCCS will visit the

orchard, give advice and write areport which detailsrecommendations and costs. Thereport will then be signed by theorchard owner before beinghanded to the North West DevonLeader+ team.

Michael Gee, Chairman ofOrchards Live, said: "Since we setup Orchards Live a few years agowe have been encouraged by thegrowing enthusiasm of thoserestoring traditional orchards. Thisexcellent grant scheme will enableus to accelerate the process ofrestoration."

The grant helps with 50% of the costfor businesses and up to 75% of thecost for community orchards, andthe maximum grant awarded is£1000. For community orchardsvolunteer time can be includedtowards 25% of the project costs.The closing date for the grant is 31stOctober 2008.

Orchards Live run up to seventyorcharding courses a year, andalso run a local network of orchardowners and enthusiasts. They havealready been awarded a Leader+

grant to buy an apple mill andpress to produce juice and cider,on a non-commercial basis, forindividuals and small-groups. Moregrants will help fund more orchardtraining workshops and promotecommunity events.

North Devon Coast & Countryside service01237 423655www.devon.gov.uk/ndccs ndccs@devon.gov.uk

Orchard Live Michael Geewww.orchardslive.org.ukmichael@lhgee.freeserve.co.uk

North West Devon LEADER+Marie Brompton, ProgrammeManager01237 424121 marie@leaderplus.co.uk

The Wider North Devon area isdesignated as a new styleBiosphere Reserve by the UnitedNations due to the quality of itsenvironment - the UK's first. To findout more go towww.northdevonbiopshere.org.uk

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North West Devon Leader+

New Leader+ grant scheme for North Devon's orchards

Apple Day 2007EggesfordGardens, Devon

As soon as the sites were chosen,agreements were set withlandowners and five year planswere put in place with the parishcouncil representatives who willtake on the management of theorchards. The management of oneof the orchard sites will be taken onby the local school.

One of the chosen sites is ChurchLane cherry orchard, which had"limited future direction" until now.Project officer Pippa Palmar, thisyear organised a planting day,where 40 volunteers turned up andplanted rootstocks, ready for afuture grafting course. The orchardhas been secured, with a newattractive and traditional gate andfencing, using a local woodsman,who made it from chestnutsourced from coppiced woodlandin the Kent Downs.

A "Breakfast in the Orchard" eventwas held during the summer whichproved to be very popular andincreased community interest. Itwas followed by a "Teddy Bear'sPicnic" for younger participants. Aninter-generational project saw thecommunity learning about thehistory and heritage of fruit growingin the area. Representatives fromthe nearby Brogdale National FruitCollection attended to share theirexpert knowledge.

Historical findingsHollybank orchard, which ismanaged by the local school,revealed a number of fascinatinghistorical facts, illustrating differenteras of the orchard's life. Forexample, the orchard has the

remnants of ridge and furrow, aploughing method, which was animportant feature of historicallandscapes, as well as a 1940s airraid shelter from World War II. Aswell as being rich with wildlife, it hasa mixture of very old remnant trees,several old rare variety cherry trees,and also newly planted trees.

The project has also inspired somegenealogy research, with oldnames of wealthy land-owningfamilies dating back to the 1500s.The internet helped research oldsurnames associated with orchardowners, which in turn threw upinformation on the history of familytitles, land ownership and landmanagement. Some local cherryfarmers were discovered to havegiven money to King James I inexchange for a knighthood andfamily crest (which included threecherry trees in the design). Somechildren at the local school havethe same surname, and the areastill has traditional cherry orchards.

Schools PackPippa Palmar this year alsoproduced a very useful "Bud ToBeaker" school pack, which hasboth teacher's notes andworksheets for pupils, for use inschools across the area. The packwill be available to download fromthe Mid Kent Downs website in thenear future www.kentdowns.org

The next steps for the project willinclude art in the orchard,exploring imaginative ways todisplay information. The project willalso look into sustainable uses forthe fruit, and is hoping to purchasea fruit de-stoner to make cherryjuice. There will be master classes'on juicing, making preserves, wines,liqueurs as well as researchingtraditional and distinctive recipes.

ContactPippa Palmar01303 815170 pippa.palmar@kentdowns.org.uk

Running for two years, from September 2006 toSeptember 2008, the Mid Kent Downs Orchardproject is taking an holistic approach to working withcommunities to restore and promote traditionalorchards in the Mid Kent Downs AONB (Area ofOutstanding Natural Beauty) landscape. It is focusinginitially on four community orchards sites.

Communityinvolvementto restoreand createorchardheritage

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Mid Kent Downs Leader+Orchards For Everyone

“Cherry Joe” Localcherry orchard expertat Hollybank orchard.

The project is concentrating on evaluating the impactof just six of more than three thousand orchards inHerefordshire. These were selected to represent thedifferent types and characteristics of orchard that canbe found here, including organic, traditional and a bushorchard. (One of the orchards being evaluated is TidnorWood, see page 8). The evaluation is examining thetriple bottom line value of each orchard, assessingenvironmental, social and economic effects. Thismeans aspects as diverse as the orchard's contributionto climate change, biodiversity, the local economy andpeople's lives are being looked at.

During the summer of 2007 there was a hive of activityon a publicly owned remnant orchard in Bodenham,one of the target orchards, as a group of 33 people fromHerefordshire Recorders and Naturalists descended forthe day to record its flora and fauna. Some interestingspecies cropped up, such as the lichen Bacidia rubellawhich is an ancient woodland indicator species. Insectsand butterflies were recorded on all the orchards byspecialist Dr Arthur Wild. Another highlight earlier in thesummer was finding a micro fungus called Pirottaeanigrostriata, on a dead stem in one of the bush orchardsbeing evaluated. This is the first recorded anywhere inthe county.

The data collections wasn't without its problems. Duringthe Foot and Mouth disease restrictions, it was decidedthat it was not sensible to make farm visits. The adverseweather conditions of summer 2007 also hindered somedata collection! However, a lot of information on the

nature of the orchards has been amassed, from soil rightthrough to mammals.

On the social aspect, to date a total of 88 people havebeen involved in discussing the impact of orchards atfacilitated community evenings. Detailed surveys havebeen completed by visitors to orchards, tree sponsorsfrom Tidnor Wood and visitors to the Tourist InformationCentre. Hotel owners have also been asked for theirperspective to try to put a value on the orchards as anamenity for leisure, employment and for education.

David held talks about the project during this year's BigApple Festival and the Flavours of Herefordshire FoodFestival. The project was also approached by BBC Radio4 in April to contribute to the Nature Programme onOrchards, to explain the new perspective on orchardsthe project is developing. This programme is still available to listen to on the BBCRadio 4 website on this link: www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/nature_20070430.shtml

By the end of the year, there should be a full account ofeach of the orchards participating in the project, andsome interesting comparisons should be apparent, withthe final report held at the Hereford Cider Museum.

For further information contact David MarshallThe Bulmer FoundationPlough Lane, Herefordshire. HR4 OLEdamagelimited@btinternet.com

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Hereford OrchardCommunity

Evaluation ProjectWith the season's fruit being collectedand the smell of apples hanging in theair across Hereford, Dave Marshall hasbeen busy harvesting apples, but also

information and experiences

Herefordshire Rivers Leader+ Herefordshire Cowsin a traditional

orchard in Bosbury,Herefordshire

Herefordshire Cowsin a traditional

orchard in Bosbury,Herefordshire

Orchard Link Cumbria was set up withthe support of Fells and Dales Leader+to ensure local apples are used andnot wasted as windfall. The projectinitially started with an orchard groupand the purchase of a communityapple press; it now also puts orchardowners in touch with local producersand helps to organise events aroundthe county.

Over the last year, Orchard LinkCumbria helped plant a referencecollection orchard at Sizergh Estate, aNational Trust site, in collaborationwith Brian Fereday, a forester for theNational Trust and an orchardenthusiast. The site is the very oldFellside orchard, which was initiallyrestored ten years ago and has nowbeen replanted with more traditionallocal varieties of plums, apples,damsons and pears. The orchard hasbeen featured as part of the estate'sgarden walks and orchard weekendcelebration, and has been used for

training workshops, including a well-attended orchard managementcourse as part of the DamsonDevelopment Project.

Orchard Link Cumbria has also co-operated with the social enterpriseGrowing Well, an organisation thatworks with and trains people whohave long-term mental healthproblems. The two groups held agrafting training day this year withorchard expert Hilary Wilson ofNorthern Food Group. All the graftswere successful, and Hilary was verypleased with how the training eventboosted the confidence of thosewho took part. "They didn't believetheir graft was going to work," shesaid. Another grafting course will beheld in March 2008. Next year,Growing Well will plant a traditionalorchard; they will eventually sell theharvested fruit along with thevegetables from the organic marketgarden they tend.

Dick Palmer, who co-ordinates eventsfor the community apple press, hasrecently been busy with orchardevents, demonstrations andcommunity pressing days around thecounty. He has recruited many moremembers and created an interest allaround Cumbria, with the press beingin high demand. This year theyformed an orchard group to coverthe South Lakeland area. They wereable to obtain extra funding fromVolunteer Action Cumbria andLeader+ for an apple press for thegroup, which has already been in usefor this autumn's crop. The new groupis considering some local orchard sitesfor restoration, with a view toadopting one as an educational site.Discussions to set up a North LakelandOrchard Group are underway.

Contact Dick Palmer dick.palmer@tiscali.co.uk Fells and Dales Leader+www.fellsanddales.org.uk

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Orchard Link Cumbria

Cumbria Fells and Dales Leader+

Project officer Ida Fabrizio attendedDamson Day in April this year, and waspleasantly surprised by the manydelicious damson products shetasted. Local producers who use localdamsons are thriving: Savin Hill Farmsells a popular damson pork pie, andCowmire Hall's successful damson ginis sold in Fortnum and Mason inLondon. Also in attendance weredairies, bakeries, local breweries andpreserve makers, who brought animpressive display of damson ice-cream; damson cheese; damsonbread, puddings, cakes and jams;and even damson stout!

However, even with the enthusiasm oflocal - and national - producers,retailers and consumers for damsonsand damson products, manyproducers still have difficulty gettingfruit from the local Lyth Valley,because of a shortage of labour andsupply and a lack of de-stoningfacilities.

The Damson Development Projectwas launched in partnership with theWestmorland Damson Association toinvestigate this very problem andexamine the long-term viability of a

sustainable local damson industry. Inearly 2007, project officer KarenBentley carried out extensiveresearch, canvassing growers andproducers to explore the challengesfacing the WDA and the Westmorlanddamson industry. The project alsoaimed to provide stewardship adviceand orchard management training;the WDA's orchard managementworkshop in March 2007 was a greatsuccess and has underscored theneed for more teaching sessions.

Following the research survey, Karen'sreport was released in July this year.Notably, it confirmed the interest ofgrowers, producers and retailers indamsons and damson products, andfound that there is encouragingpotential - both regionally andnationally - for industry growth. Keyrecommendations included settingup a scheme to sponsor the plantingof damson trees and donating trees tolocal schools to plant as part of schoolorchards; establishing a programmeto employ, train and insure a team ofpickers to visit several orchards duringthe picking season; and clarifying theapplication and awarding process forgrants, targeting younger farmers and

other interested locals. Taking part inestablished national schemes couldbe helpful as well: applying to includedamson orchards in the local NationalBiodiversity Action Plan (BAP), forexample, would help attract touristsand visitors who are interested inagriculture and the environment.

The study also raised the possibility of apartnership with the nearbyWitherslack Co-operative, whichwould provide facilities for storing,freezing and selling damsons, as wellas offer an information point forinterested visitors, but would relievethe WDA and local farmers orproducers of the responsibility ofsetting up and running a centre ontheir own.

The survey was presented to theWDA's executive committee, whichhas wholeheartedly decided topursue the majority of itsrecommendations. The orchard grantscheme has already beenresurrected, and the committee iscurrently drawing up an action planfor the next 12 months.

Karen BentleyWestmorland Damson Association kcbentley@tiscali.co.ukwww.lythdamsons.org.uk

Damson Development Project

While a number of traditional fruit varieties have been indecline, some orchards are quietly and effectivelysafeguarding traditional varieties with the help of publicinvolvement and sponsorship. One such orchard thrivesjust couple miles out of Hereford. Tidnor Wood OrchardTrust is eschewing funding applications and grants infavour of the revenue from cider apples and publicsponsorship of trees. For £60, a tree may be sponsored asa memorial or a gift, or simply in the name ofconservation. Sponsors pick their desired variety and restassured that it will be nurtured for its lifetime. Sponsors mayvisit the orchard, a sprawling 26-acre area, to sample theirtree's produce - fruit that may be unavailable elsewhere.

With more than 350 varieties of apple tree in Tidnor Wood,the orchard represents the UK's largest collection of ciderapple varieties, says Henry May, who owns and runs theorchard trust. Indeed, the orchard has been awarded"National Collection" status by the National Council forthe Conservation of Plants and Gardens.

Tidnor Wood Orchard is currently in organic conversion, astage that should be completed by next year. In themeantime, Henry says, the orchard trust is trying topromote the site as a nature reserve. To that end, they arecontinuing to encourage diversified flora and fauna,though not to the detriment of the commercialnecessities of the orchard. The challenge will be tocontinue gene-banking some fascinating old cider applevarieties while maintaining a traditional Herefordshireorchard as a profitable and self-sustaining venture.

East of Tidnor, in the vast Herefordshire countryside nearLedbury, Dragon Orchard is a small, family-run, traditionalfruit farm running a similar tree-sponsorship scheme. Here,£50-sponsorship will cover the cost of planting and caringfor a fruit tree in a new orchard that has beenlandscaped and designed with ecology and recreationin mind. While Dragon Orchard nurtures apple, pear,greengage, plum and quince trees, their emphasis,mirroring that of Tidnor Wood Orchard Trust, is on speciesdiversity and preserving traditional varieties. Sponsors aregiven a free visit to spend a day in the orchard, and alsoreceive regular newsletters and information on varietiesthat would be invaluable to a fruit tree enthusiast.

In 2001, Dragon Orchard branched out into cropsharing,an innovative scheme in which a member of the publicpays an annual subscription of £300 in return for agenerous quantity of fruit produce come harvest time.The produce includes home-made jams, chutneys, juicesand cider. Added bonuses are offered for a familysubscription: four invitations a year are extended to visitthe farm, during wassailing, blossom time, harvesting orcider-making. Half of the cropshare members are local(from within a 30-mile radius), while the other half hail fromfurther afield, many coming from cities such as London,Bath and Manchester.

Dragon Orchard won the Country Living Enterprising RuralWomen's Award in 2004 for Farm Diversification and RickStein has featured them as one of the Food Heroes ofBritain. These tree-sponsoring and cropsharing projectsare a type of Community Supported Agriculture, that aimto reconnect farmers and consumers to boost localeconomies and communities in a sustainable manner. Inchoosing to preserve and promote the great geneticdiversity of British fruit trees, Tidnor Wood Orchard andDragon Orchard are vibrant, living landscapes andevolving habitats that help to usher the past into asustainable future.

For more details about Tidnor Wood Orchard Trust seewww.tidnorwood.org.uk

For more information on tree sponsorship, crop sharingand CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) seewww.dragonorchard.co.uk

See also the Culminating Communities website, withcase studies of community supported agriculture:www.cuco.org.uk/Regional/fullpage.php?type=4&article=8&sort=0

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Can you help support Lord Lambourne?

Left: Apple orchard at Tidnor Wood Orchard Trust. Right: Ann andNorman at Dragon Orchard. Photo - Dragon Orchard

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In the spirit of community-supportedagriculture, innovative tree-sponsorshipschemes are helping Herefordshireorchards navigate their future

A novel sponsorship scheme for orchards

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In Germany in the mid-1980s, a nature survey conductedby non-governmental organisation NaturschutzbundDeutschland (NABU) found a correlation between the lossof old orchards and significant decreases in bird life -Athene noctua, the Little Owl, included. Following thesurvey, an initiative to save traditional orchards wasofficially launched in 1986.

What began as an environmental effort some twentyyears ago, today has a full-fledged economic impulsebehind it as well. These twin ideals of conservation andfinancial viability drive the programme of Schutz durchNutz ('Protection through use'), through which NABUgroups in Germany's western states work to protect thelocal orchards.

A key example is the Streuobst project (Streuobst is theGerman word that refers to traditional orchards), whichhas encouraged the production and marketing of juicesmade from local fruit to help old orchards be financiallyviable. Today, 120 juice initiatives have been foundedaround the country to harvest fruit in local traditionalorchards; to make, label and market the juice, cider or'Most'; and to build community-based programmesencouraging conservation and tourism, among otherprojects. This collection of local enthusiasts makes up afairly large-scale operation, supporting the renewedeconomic viability and environmental sustainability of theold orchards. To support and promote such initiatives,NABU grants a label of quality to products such asStreuobst juice. The NABU label on a bottle of Streuobstjuice is a guarantee of regional production andenvironmentally friendly land use; it assures the consumerthat only high-quality, naturally produced fruit was used,and that those involved in the production and distributionof the juice were paid a fair wage.

While the juice groups are independently owned and run- often as charities or co-operatives - NABU hosts and fundsa federal working group on orchards that advises theselocal groups on issues ranging from the practical to thepolitical. Besides offering advice and support on matterspertaining to orchard management and the processingand labelling of orchard products, the group alsoproposes ideas for community use of local orchards andensures the best use of local infrastructure. In addition, aninternet specialist helps manage the sharing of adviceand information on the group website. The groupmaintains, as well, a lobbying arm in regular contact withgovernment ministers. In this political capacity, it protestsagainst basing fruit-grading criteria on cosmetic qualities,and pushes for agri-environment policy to preservetraditional orchards.

From 1999-2001, NABU groups in neighbouring Saarlandand Rhineland-Palatinate partnered with theirLuxembourgian counterparts to run an orchards project inSaarland, partly funded through the EU's Interregprogramme. The aims of the project were two-fold: tocreate orchard employment and to improve marketingactivities for the fruit.

Based on results of consumer surveys confirming thatincreased Streuobst juice consumption could lead to thecreation of a number of new jobs while saving existingones, the Interreg partners agreed to develop regionaljuice initiatives . The group launched the Saftmobil, a one-tonne trailer with a 60-litre press and scratter, which travelsto villages and schools to press fruit brought in by localpeople; the trailer also doubles as a mobile shop fromwhich to sell the juice.

Meanwhile, a tree nursery was established in the city ofMerzig, and is run as a demonstration traditional orchard -complete with juicing facility - from which both growersand consumers are invited to learn about orchardmanagement techniques.

NABU Saarland has also worked to combine funding fromvarious sources, including the state government and theEU, for a targeted orchard-support scheme. In addition,NABU supports the Schulapfel (school apple) scheme,whereby students between seven and 10 years of agereceive a free apple from a local orchard.

Contact Markus Rösler, Streuobst@web.dewww.streuobst.de (In German only. For an Englishtranslation, enter this link as a search in Google, then clickon "Translate this page")

Read about NABU, and other European orchardinitiatives in Dan Keech's 2001 Winston Churchill FellowshipReport "Traditional Orchards - Exploring a SustainableFuture". Download the report fromwww.sustainweb.org/pdf/traditional_orchards_report.pdf

Orchard initiatives in GermanyThe owls, in their way, saved the orchards

Orchard projects in other European countries

Photos NABU

In Luxembourg, a similar scheme to the German initiativefocuses on the related aspects of nature preservationand orchard conservation. Recognising that orchardsare home to a vibrant biodiversity, the Fondation Hëlleffir d'Natur, a nature preservation organisation, hascreated the Initiativ Bongert (bongert is the Luxembourgterm for 'orchard') to protect local orchards bysupporting and promoting Luxembourgian fruit. Theproject area currently covers two Leader+ areas ineastern Luxembourg: in Mullerthal and along theMoselle River.

The group launched the Label Initiativ Bongert to marketown-label fruit and derivative products - juice, cider andjam, for example - from these Leader+ areas. Fruitmarketed under this label must be free from chemicalsand must come from Luxembourgian orchards. Inaddition, growers who take part in the programme mustadhere to a certain level of orchard care, agreeing toplant new trees regularly as well as tend to the old ones.

The programme requires that members sign on for aminimum five-year period; during this time, growers areable to sell their high-quality 'Label' fruit to partnerproducers at a price about 20 per cent higher than theywould normally receive in the marketplace. Besidesbeing sold directly to the customer from the producer,

'Label' apple juices are also sold in small shops as well asa large supermarket chain.

Other innovative projects of the Initiativ Bongert includethe Obstbörse, a sort of fruit stock exchange throughwhich farmers with an oversupply of fruit may get intouch with producers who need more fruit. Meanwhile,a parallel scheme, the Bongertenbörse, puts short-handed orchard owners in touch with interestedparticipants who may be looking to harvest more fruit inexchange for tending the trees. To coordinate theefforts of all participants, from orchard owners andfarmers to fruit and cider producers and natureassociations, the group has set up a dedicated InitiativBongert phone number and website. Through these,customers may place direct orders for 'Label' juice andsubscribers can receive updates about currentprogrammes and news about forthcoming projects.

Contact Marc Thielinfo@bongert.luInitiativ Bongert website: www.bongert.lu Fondation Hëllef fir d'Natur website: www.hfn.lu

Luxembourg - Initiativ Bongert

Orchard projects in other European countries

Luxembourg orchards.Photo, Marc Thiel,

Initative Bongert

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Dotted across the Belgian landscape, fruit orchards,though greatly diminished in size and quantity since themid-twentieth century, speak to the country's richagricultural past. Recognising the significant roleorchards play in Belgian heritage, three Leader+ LocalAction Groups (LAGs) in Wallonie have been involved inco-operative efforts since 2005 to establish conservatoryorchards in the three participating regions. The projectwas formally launched in 2006 and is due to continuethrough June 2008.

In an effort to promote their shared cultural heritage,LAGs in Pays des Collines, Assesse-Gesves and Haute-Meuse have collaborated to plant traditional fruit trees(510 at last count) in a network of eight conservatoryorchards, and to institute a planned campaign ofeducation and communication about traditional fruitorchards. The initiative includes a great variety of fruittrees, and growers are encouraged to plant cherry,peach, plum, walnut and chestnut trees, in addition tothe more popular apple and pear trees.

The orchards reach beyond a celebration of culture andheritage, however; the various strands of the projectbring together agriculture, education, natureconservation and tourism as well. In Pays des Collines,the conservatory orchards are part of local village lifeand customs, and are strongly linked to tourism efforts. InHaute-Meuse, the promotion of regional productscomes to the forefront, as the fruits from the Domained'Ahinvaux orchard are regularly incorporated into themenu at the local restaurant. Another site, in Dinant, is atraining orchard, where farmers and producers learnabout orchard maintenance and the development ofnew products for the market.

The Leader+ Wallonie orchards project includes anumber of initiatives to increase awareness of traditionalorchards among local populations, especially amongyoung people. The conservatory orchards - each oneclearly marked with signposts describing plants andmethods of orchard conservation - are open to thepublic once or twice a year, with specific activities forschoolchildren. In addition, the LAGs organiseconferences on planting and orchard upkeepthroughout the year, and set up networks for trainingspecialist workers and linking other interested individuals.

The LAGs have also begun to work with the geneticresources conservation programme at the Walloncentre for agricultural research (CRA-W, Centre Wallonde Recherches Agronomiques), pooling the results oftheir projects to form a database of traditional fruit treesof the Wallon region. Where rare or unique varieties ofindigenous fruit trees currently risk extinction, thiscollaboration seeks to protect and, perhaps, eventuallyreplant them.

Description of the project is available in this PDFdocument. (In French only) www.gesves.be/material/Gal-VergersConserva-BasDef.pdf

ContactCoralie Ghilain of the Haute-Meuse LAGgalhautemeuse@skynet.beFrançois Migeotte of the Assesse-Gesves LAGmigeotte.leaderplus@skynet.bePays Collines LAG galdescollines@skynet.beCRA-W, Centre wallon de Recherchesagronomiques www.cra.wallonie.be

Orchard conservation in Belgium(Les vergers conservatoires)Leader+ Orchard Co-operation Projectin the Wallonia region of Belgium

Photos: LAG pays Collines, François Migeotte, LAG Assesse-Gesves

L e a d e r + O r c h a r d C o - o p e r a t i o n N e w s l e t t e r A u t u m n / W i n t e r 2 0 0 711

This project is financed through the European Union (EAGGF)and Defra through the Cumbria Fells & Dales, HerefordshireRivers, Mid Kent, North West Devon, Somerset Levels & Moorsand Teignbridge Leader+ programme.

Leader+ Orchard Co-operation Projectcontact: Ida Fabrizioida@sustainweb.org

We are grateful for volunteers M. Astella Saw Jennifer Passmorewho assisted with the research and writing of this newsletter

Sustain: the alliance for better food and farming94 White Lion Street, London N1 9PF

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