APPLES TREES, APPLES, JUICE, VIRTUAL ORCHARDS…..
THIS IS A CONVERSATION THAT WAS ON EMAIL AND I FELT MIGHT GET A BROADER INTEREST IF POSTED HERE……

1ST EMAIL REFERS TO A Co-op of apple pickers and eaters who have been going from Frome to west Bradley to pick and collect:
Dear all,
a few of us met to discuss the coming year on Monday. The situation for next season is that we are not able to store apples at West Bradley. Although there are possible solutions to this problem, it was felt by those present that we would prefer to go to a PYO day at the orchard, or get apples closer to home, and not continue with the community involvement. It may be that Tony the tutor at Fiveways has a private arrangement with Edward.Some of you may also feel this is a way forward, as you did not have a voice at the meting I hope you will also pursue this route if you feel it is right for you.
I have yet to talk to Edward about our decision.

I will be deeply sorry if we can't access Ashmead Kernel and some of the other varieties which I am STILL enjoying!...... I'd be really interested in looking at other more local options, or other ways of obtaining good apples as a community though. I feel sure that there are - or should be - options through Food Frome, Sustainable Frome Land and Food Group, Valis Veg, Frome Slower Food..... and there is some money held by these groups as well as potential for fundraising if that is an issue (it may not be......) I don't really know how to take this forward, I suppose I am only offering my support and contacts within all these groups (I chair 2 of them)..... and a strong desire to keep getting good local apples of varieties that last into the following year.
Peter
P.S. I am also interested in furthering the planting of a "virtual orchard" in and around Frome - maybe 1,000 old varieties to be planted in people's private gardens and other places, bought in bulk, support to plant and prune...... maybe orchestrated (orchards?) by in conjunction with Transition Towns Frome?

Hi Peter, I love the idea of the 'virtual orchard' but after this year's experience with the St Louis school orchard am sure that there are already lots of old variety apple and pear trees in Frome that we are not making the most of. I spoke to 2 families who view their apple trees, as St Louis school did, as 'a problem', as they didn't have the time or resources to collect them and distribute them. What we need are teams of committed pickers/ distributers/ pruners and PR to encourage people with abundant fruit/ nut trees in their gardens to let us know and let us in!
That said it'd be brilliant to also plant forest gardens in and around Frome in public spaces and private fields. The Woodland Trust gave some money to the Mount Community Association to buy trees with for the Key Centre.
I love the idea of having communal picking days and then taking straight home. What about someone with a cold, dark cellar for storage? There's a few of them around in Frome.
Becky Johnson

Becky
All good stuff...... I fully agree about old trees. That's what inspired I and Paul Hillman to pick apples for what has become "Apple Juice from the garden's of Frome" that sagebury cheese now sells...... Ehat's emerging in this conversation is a possible application to the Lottery to fund someone to make the whole thing happen.....
P
P.S. May I put this conversation on the sustainable Frome Forum, and/or the Food Frome website so it gets out wider than just a few email people?

BecJohnson@home.co.uk
yes, good to put it all out there. Sorry I didn't realise you and Paul had been picking this last season - I'd heard from Sheila that there was a scheme where people could bring apples in for juicing but then I'd heard from the people with apple trees that they didn't have the time to pick and bring them in to town.
It'd be great to have community juicing days as what was so excellent about the juicing we did at St Louis was that we created gorgeous apple juice from mostly pretty manky apples! Either not very enjoyable varieties or fallers or those eaten in part by bugs. So we could pick and distribute/ store any delicious eaters and juice the rest and then John ( Payne's ) wish would come true that "every apple be a wanted apple."

Becky Johnson
BecJohnson@home.co.uk

PETER TO BECKY
Not a problem that Paul and others have been picking for the shop as there are far more than enough out there…….. So there have been at least 3 things going on: The Wholefood shop juicing; St Louis Juicing; the West Bradley co-op which seems to be drifting away from our point of view. Surely there must be a way of making this all work together to supply entertainment; juice; apples for all; and maybe both a virtual and a few real orchards into the bargain??