ORCHARD HISTORY

Andrew Ormerod gives a background to the Community Orchard project:

After nearly 60 years of neglect there is renewed interest in reviving orchards and also consider planting of fruit and nut trees to cope with future changing climatic change. There is awareness that we need to improve our self sufficiency of local fruit currently at 10.5% and also re-localize production. Orchards can be commercial but also can provide a community focus and there is a need to encourage people who are enthusiastic but lack the necessary knowledge to grow fruit and nut trees in their gardens. Orchards can act as a centre for community involvement in seasonal events and a place to learn lost skills and for celebration!

• Background
• History
• Apple varieties
• Uses of apples
• The value of orchards
• Activities in other communities
• What's happened so far
• Potential for the future
  

Background

The top fruit in Cornwall has declined since the end of World War II. Nowadays there are a few national or international varieties of fruit and the understanding about eating different varieties of fruit from local sources in due season when it is at is peak of perfection has largely gone.

We are currently only 10% self sufficient in the UK grown fruit.

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History

Cornwall had a widespread cover of orchards - except on higher moorland areas. Predominant orchard trees are apples, with some more coastal plum orchards. Cornwall's wet maritime climate is a natural selection for apple trees that are more resistant to scab, canker and mildew.

Cherries were once a speciality of the Tamar Valley. Typically there was 1-2 cooking or "harvest pears" in local apple orchards (mainly French varieties of pears were grown). The river valleys in Cornwall appear often to have their local varieties of plums. In the Fowey Valley around Mixtow and Cliff the Grey Plum was grown which is now a relict.

The Fowey valley had orchards along the river valley and Golant was covered in orchards in the early 1900s. For example at St Winnow and around Mixtow. This was a tourist attraction at blossom time in the 1900s and people rowed up the river from Fowey to see the spectacle.

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Apple varieties

Apples were locally raised from seed on farms and lined out along Cornish hedges - if good enough they were propagated originally by grafting on to seedling cider apple stocks or planted as "pitchers" if they were self rooting and distributed locally. Subsequently apples have been grafted on specially selected root stocks - M25 for big trees MM106 for bush trees are most suitable for Cornish conditions.

Well adapted varieties were introduced from "up country" or abroad - generally initially to be grown in the gardens of larger wealthier houses.

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Uses of apples

Apples were used for cider commonly in the past when local water quality was poor. They can be used for juice, as dessert fruit and cookers and also some Cornish varieties were prepared in a sweet pickle as a special treat with scones and cream. Some are dual purpose.

Cider production
Cider presses often survive in Cornwall as the only legacy of orchards that have disappeared. We are very fortunate in the Lostwithiel area in having some of the only traditional working farm house cider presses in the county beyond Lerryn at Haye Farm and Middle Penpol Farm.

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The value of orchards

In addition to the harvest of fruit traditional orchards have a range of other values. There is growing awareness that they are rich sources of biodiversity 1,868 species were recorded in just over 5 hectare of old orchards in Worcestershire. Traditional orchards now form part of the UK's Biodiversity Action Plan. Orchards are also valuable carbon sinks and of value aesthetically and a place to visit for local communities.

In addition in Cornwall coastal orchards offer an ecotourism resource and there is potential for designing walking and cycle trails around coastal orchards from Lostwithiel. There are opportunities for local products made from fruit by small scale producers.

After the mass grubbing of 15% of UK orchards in the early 21^st century there is a renaissance in interest in replanting commercial orchards and there has been a growing interest from individuals and groups in planting fruit trees and orchards.

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Activities in other communities

There have been notable developments in the last 2-3 years in planting initiatives. Transition Totnes has been among those to the fore. The local South Hams council has been very supportive and planting schemes have taken place on council land near their offices in an arboretum. In addition planting of ornamental fruiting trees has taken place in the cemetery and along the river side - which has similarities to the riverside in Lostwithiel - where the wild Lostwithiel river valley apple trees grow.

I understand the council have bought the trees and actually receive support from individuals who want to have a memorial associated with a tree. I think the trees in Totnes are part of the "Edible Landscape" planted with a view to scrumping (which I think the Lostwithiel River Apple is used for).

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What's happened so far

1. Initial stages of survey of orchards in Lostwithiel have been undertaken and some of old apple trees of note have been identified. In addition some survey work has been conducted at Cliff and Mixtow.
   
   
2. Collection of initial material for propagation and initial attempts of grafting to earn the skills has been undertaken.
   
   
3. Information gathered about how other volunteer orchard groups operate has been gathered from Orchard Live in Devon that runs meetings and training sessions at different times of the year.
   
   
4. Fact finding visit to Transition Totnes highlighted how local groups such as Trees for Health, Orchard Link and the International Tree Foundation have played a role in tree planting.
   
   
5. Staging the Nuts about Fruit event for Transition Cornwall Network.
   

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Potential for the future

The summer time gives us a chance to plan for the coming autumn and winter when more orchard activities and training can be planned including seeing if there is interest in local people being involved in learning about harvest, pruning and propagation.

In addition it gives us a chance to survey potential orchard sites and liaise with other groups interested in the use of land such as the Environment group who are interested in the area near the river.

Other ideas include:

1. Consideration of areas for planting orchards
   
   Several locations have been suggested within or around Lostwithiel. Rather like in Totnes there may be opportunities to emphasis the theme within the town and along the river side - which may provide more informal resources for scrumping.
   
   
2. Ecotourism trail from Lostwithiel linking up various orchards for either walkers or cyclists.
   
   
3. Training sessions in orchard activities. There is growing interest in orchards but a lack of knowledge about pruning, grafting, fruit processing etc. There are a few young and many old orchards which could offer ideal sites for demonstrating appropriate orchard management training around Lostwithiel and the Fowey Valley.
   
   Community harvests and "prunathons" may be the way to make learning fun and make a daunting task easier.
   
   
4. Surveying and recording.
   
   As already pointed out there are many relict orchards around the Fowey Valley. Which need to be surveyed and recorded. In addition archives and historic records need to be followed up. An archive of people's knowledge and reminiscences need to be collected - this is timely because many of the people with valuable records are not in the first flush of youth.