Welcome to the event record for the Orchard Gatherings held by Orchard Collective Scotland. Orchard Gathering 2014 was a pioneering day-long event held on the 7th of November 2014 in Dunblane - attended by over 100 people from all corners of Scotland and using collaborative techniques to envision the future of Scotland's orchards. This website is intended to act as a record of the event and keep you updated on future events. It is also a reference point for the newly formed Orchard Collective Scotland - which emerged organically from the event and now has several hundred online members and its own Facebook group and Google mailing list.
Seed & Tree Festival, Glasgow, Sat 6th February 2016
Caledonian Brewery meeting, Feb 2015
At the Dunblane Orchard Gathering, Fife Diet pledged to hold a follow-up event - this took place on the 21st February 2015 at the Caledonian Brewery in Edinburgh, and was also the inaugural meeting of the loosely formed but dynamic Orchard Collective Scotland. The event was facilitated by Fergus Walker and Eva Schonveld (Fife Diet), Crispin Hayes (Orchard Revival) and Clementine Sandison (Urban Orchard Project). The aim of this event was to foster the diverse energy within the Orchard Collective, and to give advice and peer support to help practical, tangible projects get off the ground.
We had 35 people there on the day, and although the crowd was smaller than the National Orchard Gathering in Dunblane in November, the same energy, enthusiasm and good will – as well as some brand new faces – was very definitely there.
It was a meeting of talk for action. We revisited the vision that was explored in Dunblane, but the heart of the day was to help 5 fledgling projects gain clarity and strength so that the people who had instigated felt that they had the support to take them forward.
Some of the things that were pointed out in our initial discussion as being particularly important were:
We then went on to follow a process called ‘Collaborative Design for Action’ where each of the project starters received help from 4-8 other people – discussion, ideas, advice – and came up with a plan of how to proceed. Here are how the five projects are shaping up at the moment – works in progress!
CLICK ON THE IMAGES BELOW TO SEE A SLIDESHOW:
We had 35 people there on the day, and although the crowd was smaller than the National Orchard Gathering in Dunblane in November, the same energy, enthusiasm and good will – as well as some brand new faces – was very definitely there.
It was a meeting of talk for action. We revisited the vision that was explored in Dunblane, but the heart of the day was to help 5 fledgling projects gain clarity and strength so that the people who had instigated felt that they had the support to take them forward.
Some of the things that were pointed out in our initial discussion as being particularly important were:
- Providing an open resource for education, so that we don’t repeat the same mistakes
- The importance of life-long learning, and teaching families, not just children – and building a culture that appreciates orchard fruit
- The importance of building better infrastructure and increasing stock
- The importance of enterprise and being able to market Scottish fruit.
We then went on to follow a process called ‘Collaborative Design for Action’ where each of the project starters received help from 4-8 other people – discussion, ideas, advice – and came up with a plan of how to proceed. Here are how the five projects are shaping up at the moment – works in progress!
CLICK ON THE IMAGES BELOW TO SEE A SLIDESHOW:
PROJECT 1: ORCHARD GATHERING 2015 - Provisional date 3rd October
Led by Dundee Urban Orchard (Jonathan Baxter and Sarah Gittins)
For more information please contact Jonathan and Sarah on jb4change[at]gmail.com
In October 2015 (provisional date 3rd October) Dundee Urban Orchard will welcome the Orchard Collective Scotland to Dundee for the next Orchard Gathering. This Gathering will focus on the theme of Orchard Cities and the role that the creative arts can play in generating and sustaining energy for a growing orchard movement.
Examples of creative orchard projects from across the UK will be highlighted. The day will include lively presentations, creative workshops and plenty of time to discuss next steps for the Orchard Collective Scotland.
Our thinking at the moment is that DUO and its partners would organise a three day event in Dundee - with related orchard biodiversity carnival and artmaking workshops for the week leading into the event.
PROJECT 2: SCHOOL ORCHARDS – A GREAT RESOURCE
Led by Margaret Miller & Forth Envirnment Link
For more information please contact Margaret[at]forthenvironmentlink.org
We agreed that there was a real need to improve orchard culture in schools. Outdoor learning is an integral part of the Curriculum for Excellence, newly qualified teachers will be assessed on it, and knowledge of what can be achieved using a school orchard, its trees and fruit will ensure its care and sustainability and so prevent it falling into neglect. The newly published Forth Valley Orchards’ Teachers’ Resource Pack will be used to spread ideas and suggestions to meet this need.
We prioritised:
Team participants suggested a very useful list of contacts and further discussion proposed the notion of schools becoming Orchard Schools with a graded programme leading from initial planting to making full use of orchards across the curriculum...perhaps leading to a Golden Apple award, and an Apple Teacher award. This idea could be piloted in one council to provide case studies for future development.
Our next steps are to draw up a business plan in March which can be presented to potential funders. If successful then we will be on our way to making school orchards really blossom!
PROJECT 3: FRUIT BAY – better marketing of Scottish orchard fruit
Led by Danya Caceres (Pickled in Scotland)
For more information please contact Danya on danya[at]pickledinscotland.co.uk
The calling question to those in possession of orchard fruits:
How can value added producers know what fruit you are growing, where you are and if you want to sell some?
The calling question to value added producers keen to buy orchard fruits:
What fruit varieties and class is there a market for, how can we find it/you?
The conversation was about sourcing Scottish fruit and sharing information between those that have it and those who want to buy it. There was a further conversation about whether there is a big enough crop of Scottish orchard fruit in existence and whether there is a case for planting and growing the orchard nursery stock to widen the supply.
We named our project Fruit-Bay and agreed that the following outcomes would be practical ways to respond:
This would aim to deliver a collective identity and sense of cohesion to enable a marketplace to trade Scottish orchard produce, with the ultimate outcome of spreading fruit love back to Scottish soil.
First step: create a core team of those who contributed their names (11 off) via email, on the back of the mailing list Fergus is to publish, to:
define a brief for the proposed entity
PROJECT 4: APPLES IN SCOTLAND Disseminating the invaluable knowledge on Scotland’s best loved fruit
Led by John Butterworth and Les Bates
For more information please contact John or Les via the Orchard Collective Facebook Group
An update from John:
Regarding the new edition of my little book 'Apples in Scotland', this month I plan to find/ retrieve the Word files from 2001 from very old hard drive/CD/WHY, look and think about them. If I survive that, the next step is to set up an extremely simple online form on my new website www.applesinscotland.com (not quite running yet) inviting contributions as to 'what does well with you and where are you?'
I'm also going to begin contacting some of several thousand former nursery customers on the same subject. I have to think how to record and present this information.
Then I need to look for slides/digital photos to radically improve on those in the first edition, start travelling around the country looking at lots of trees and talking to lots of people, investigate self publishing an e-book (initially)..........Wow! I'm exhausted just thinking about it!!
If anyone can help John and Les to do this important work, please get in touch with either John or Les on the Orchard Collective Facebook group.
PROJECT 5: MOBILE JUICER
Led by Fergus Walker and Clem Sandison
For more information please contact fergus[at]commongoodfood.org
We discussed how to set up a mobile unit to give community and commercial small-medium orchards better access to equipment for the affordable processing of surplus fruit into bottled juice.
There is a need to make better use of surplus fruit, the quantity of which will rapidly increase with all the orchards being planted across Scotland, and an opportunity with a mobile project to meet current demand and advertise for future need/demand.
Current equipment is not easily able to provide a juicing service ( more suited to small scale demonstrations), and better juicing equipment, set up in a stainless steel trailer, would be able to meet this demand. Fast and effective pasteurisation equipment would extend the shelf-life beyond the short Scottish growing season and provide an income stream.
There is a need to provide efficient processing but not to compromise the enormous value of communal work days (apple days) where everyone lends a hand (fun, camaraderie, sense of community, pride in work, etc)
Led by Dundee Urban Orchard (Jonathan Baxter and Sarah Gittins)
For more information please contact Jonathan and Sarah on jb4change[at]gmail.com
In October 2015 (provisional date 3rd October) Dundee Urban Orchard will welcome the Orchard Collective Scotland to Dundee for the next Orchard Gathering. This Gathering will focus on the theme of Orchard Cities and the role that the creative arts can play in generating and sustaining energy for a growing orchard movement.
Examples of creative orchard projects from across the UK will be highlighted. The day will include lively presentations, creative workshops and plenty of time to discuss next steps for the Orchard Collective Scotland.
Our thinking at the moment is that DUO and its partners would organise a three day event in Dundee - with related orchard biodiversity carnival and artmaking workshops for the week leading into the event.
PROJECT 2: SCHOOL ORCHARDS – A GREAT RESOURCE
Led by Margaret Miller & Forth Envirnment Link
For more information please contact Margaret[at]forthenvironmentlink.org
We agreed that there was a real need to improve orchard culture in schools. Outdoor learning is an integral part of the Curriculum for Excellence, newly qualified teachers will be assessed on it, and knowledge of what can be achieved using a school orchard, its trees and fruit will ensure its care and sustainability and so prevent it falling into neglect. The newly published Forth Valley Orchards’ Teachers’ Resource Pack will be used to spread ideas and suggestions to meet this need.
We prioritised:
- ‘training the trainers’. By offering CPD training to representatives from each council, ideas, resources and support will be disseminated
- seeking access to colleges to enable student teachers to make best use of the orchards in their future schools and pass on good practice by example to other staff
- increasing teacher confidence to engage young people in orchard education
- sustaining existing orchards through education and support
Team participants suggested a very useful list of contacts and further discussion proposed the notion of schools becoming Orchard Schools with a graded programme leading from initial planting to making full use of orchards across the curriculum...perhaps leading to a Golden Apple award, and an Apple Teacher award. This idea could be piloted in one council to provide case studies for future development.
Our next steps are to draw up a business plan in March which can be presented to potential funders. If successful then we will be on our way to making school orchards really blossom!
PROJECT 3: FRUIT BAY – better marketing of Scottish orchard fruit
Led by Danya Caceres (Pickled in Scotland)
For more information please contact Danya on danya[at]pickledinscotland.co.uk
The calling question to those in possession of orchard fruits:
How can value added producers know what fruit you are growing, where you are and if you want to sell some?
The calling question to value added producers keen to buy orchard fruits:
What fruit varieties and class is there a market for, how can we find it/you?
The conversation was about sourcing Scottish fruit and sharing information between those that have it and those who want to buy it. There was a further conversation about whether there is a big enough crop of Scottish orchard fruit in existence and whether there is a case for planting and growing the orchard nursery stock to widen the supply.
We named our project Fruit-Bay and agreed that the following outcomes would be practical ways to respond:
- designate or create an entity to steer Fruit-Bay on such matters as marketing, training, engagement, stock distribution, orchard management and trading
- create a contact directory of owners and managers and existing crops
- develop an umbrella brand for Scottish orchard produce
This would aim to deliver a collective identity and sense of cohesion to enable a marketplace to trade Scottish orchard produce, with the ultimate outcome of spreading fruit love back to Scottish soil.
First step: create a core team of those who contributed their names (11 off) via email, on the back of the mailing list Fergus is to publish, to:
define a brief for the proposed entity
PROJECT 4: APPLES IN SCOTLAND Disseminating the invaluable knowledge on Scotland’s best loved fruit
Led by John Butterworth and Les Bates
For more information please contact John or Les via the Orchard Collective Facebook Group
An update from John:
Regarding the new edition of my little book 'Apples in Scotland', this month I plan to find/ retrieve the Word files from 2001 from very old hard drive/CD/WHY, look and think about them. If I survive that, the next step is to set up an extremely simple online form on my new website www.applesinscotland.com (not quite running yet) inviting contributions as to 'what does well with you and where are you?'
I'm also going to begin contacting some of several thousand former nursery customers on the same subject. I have to think how to record and present this information.
Then I need to look for slides/digital photos to radically improve on those in the first edition, start travelling around the country looking at lots of trees and talking to lots of people, investigate self publishing an e-book (initially)..........Wow! I'm exhausted just thinking about it!!
If anyone can help John and Les to do this important work, please get in touch with either John or Les on the Orchard Collective Facebook group.
PROJECT 5: MOBILE JUICER
Led by Fergus Walker and Clem Sandison
For more information please contact fergus[at]commongoodfood.org
We discussed how to set up a mobile unit to give community and commercial small-medium orchards better access to equipment for the affordable processing of surplus fruit into bottled juice.
There is a need to make better use of surplus fruit, the quantity of which will rapidly increase with all the orchards being planted across Scotland, and an opportunity with a mobile project to meet current demand and advertise for future need/demand.
Current equipment is not easily able to provide a juicing service ( more suited to small scale demonstrations), and better juicing equipment, set up in a stainless steel trailer, would be able to meet this demand. Fast and effective pasteurisation equipment would extend the shelf-life beyond the short Scottish growing season and provide an income stream.
There is a need to provide efficient processing but not to compromise the enormous value of communal work days (apple days) where everyone lends a hand (fun, camaraderie, sense of community, pride in work, etc)
- To get this going this year (!) we need to:
- Research and visit people currently juicing on a medium scale inc. Cairn o Mohr, Clyde Valley Orchards, Cuddybridge, Laprig, Thistlycross - Does anyone know of a good place to visit.
- Research equipment and costs including washers, scratters, presses, pasteurisers and bottlers, trailers + costs
- Research other examples of mobile processing plants inc. Ola mobile rapeseed press or Puddledub mobile slaughterhouse.
- Get funds
- Assemble a machine and get some bookings...
- Go!