by -:- Bryn Thomas
You may have noticed that we are very focused on apples and orchards here at Brighton Permaculture Trust.
But why this pomological obsession? Is it an obscure fruity fetish? Or is there a good reason?
The simple truth is that growing fruit trees, especially in a traditional way, can be truly sustainable or even regenerate the environment and bring communities together:
- Once established, fruit trees can provide a plentiful harvest for many decades without huge amounts of work.
- Once established, there is often no need to feed the trees. Contrast that with a vegetable garden or farmer’s field.
- Fruit trees and the vegetation beneath them can lock up carbon and build soil as they grow.
- Fruit trees and orchards are beautiful. Would you rather eat a picnic in the dappled shade of an apple tree or in a carrot patch?
- People love apples: picking them, juicing them, eating them.
- School and community orchards bring people together.
- And then there’s the wildlife. Pollinating insects, beetles, birds, flowering plants, and lichens all thrive in our orchards.
-:- Find out more about why planting fruit trees fits permaculture ethics and principle.
-:- Learn more about Brighton Permaculture Trust’s work with orchards and fruit.
See you at Apple Day!