Project documents
Protecting our Orchard Heritage
A good practice guide for managing orchard projects
The purpose of the report is to help current and future orchard projects, supporting practitioners and local communities to enhance, protect and celebrate orchards. It gives practical advice on setting up and running orchard projects; looks at creative ways to engage local communities and the media; and explores how to make orchards more financially viable through fundraising and selling orchard products. It draws upon many successful examples of Leader+ and similar projects and the advice and experience from orchard groups around the UK and elsewhere. This guide aims to inspire orchard enthusiasts everywhere, to take practical action to conserve our orchard heritage for the enjoyment of generations to come.
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More information on the report
Meeting minutes
During the project, there were two national network meetings. The minutes from these meetings can be downloaded below.
- Minutes of the meeting held in Ledbury, Herefordshire, on 11th July 2007, for The Leader+ Orchard Co-operation Project" Download 233Kb PDF
- Minutes of the meeting held in London on 27th November 2006 for The Leader+ Orchard Co-operation Project - Download 175Kb PDF
Newsletters
Two newsletters were produced during the project, which include project descriptions and case studies from Leader+ funded projects in the UK and other countries in Europe.
- Leader+ Orchards Newsletter Autumn / Winter 07 - Download 732Kb PDF
- Leader+ Orchards Newsletter Winter / Spring 07 - Download 968Kb PDF
Previous Sustain reports
- Dan Keech, Winston Churchill Fellowship 2001: "Traditional Orchards - Exploring a Sustainable Future". Report written by Dan Keech after researching and exploring orchard initiatives in France, Spain and Germany in 2001 and 2002. Supported by the Winston Churchill Charitable Trust. Download 259Kb PDF
- Sustain: 'How Green are our apples?' and the 'Pear essentials' from the Food Facts series.
https://www.sustainweb.org/pubslist.php?section=21
Local Leader+ Funded Leaflets promoting orchards
- Cumbria Fells and Dales Leader+ leaflet on local apples
http://www.fellsanddales.org.uk/images/pdfs-full/apple.pdf - Cumbria Fells and Dales Damson Trail
http://www.fellsanddales.org.uk/images/pdfs-full/damson.pdf - Mid Kent Apple Trail
http://www.kenttourism.co.uk/en/contact_us/pdfs/apple%20trail.pdf#search=%22mid%20kent%20apples%22
Orchards Project: During 2006 and 2007, Sustain worked on a national orchard project with Leader+ (European Union funded programme of rural development) to conserve and bring into sustainable management traditional orchards in 6 Leader+ funded areas: Hereford Rivers; Somerset Levels & Moors; Teinbridge; North West Devon; Mid Kent, and Cumbria Fells & Dales.
