We are involved in a number of initiatives to encourage growing, harvesting and eating local fruit.
(Wondering what fruit has to do with permaculture? Find out how projects like these demonstrate permaculture in action.)
Planting school & community orchards
Since 2003, we have helped schools and communities across Sussex plant more than 130 orchards.
This work has been carried out in partnership with Action in rural Sussex and Brighton & Hove Food Partnership.
The schools with which we’ve planted orchards have included small village schools like Clymping in West Sussex as well as large secondary schools like Falmer in Brighton. Community orchards we have helped plant include tiny community gardens like London Road Station and Phoenix Community Centre and larger orchards on estates like Craven Vale and Hollingdean (all in Brighton). We’ve also planted community orchards on public land, including Maltravers Leisure Gardens in Littlehampton and Heringtons Field in Arundel.
Ongoing projects include Racehill Orchard in Brighton, the largest orchard we have helped plant to date (planned to comprise over 200 fruit trees), further planting at Hollingdean, and a new planting in Bevendean planned for this winter.
Get full details of all our orchard planting projects.
Take a look at our video: The value of community orchards.
Donations needed
Can you help support this important work? A donation of £20 buys a tree to plant for future generations.
DONATE HERE
Want to plant your own school/community garden?
Find out how we can help you plant an orchard in your school or community.
Sussex apples
We are working to reintroduce delicious and nearly extinct Sussex apple varieties. We are proud that our orchards at Stanmer Park have been recognised by Plant Heritage as a National Collection.
Scrumping project
We harvest unused fruit in Brighton & Hove and transform it into delicious juices, jams and chutneys. Most recently, we’ve expanded our scrumping project by building a straw bale structure in Stanmer Park to serve as our scrumping headquarters. This Fruit Factory is a hub of all things fruity!
Apple publications
We’ve been involved in the publication of several books promoting Sussex apples and orchards, as well as posted videos on fruit tree care on YouTube.
Courses and training in fruit tree care
We offer a variety of opportunities to learn more about orchards, apples, and how to care for fruit trees.
Apple partnerships
Working in partnership with other organisations is important to us. One of our more recent collaborations has been with Normandy, in a project called “Orchards without Borders.”
Volunteers needed
If you would like to volunteer to help with these projects, sign up to our volunteer list. We’ll email you with volunteering opportunities as and when they arise. Or, if you have a particular skill to offer, feel free to contact us.