Stirley Community Farm’s Orchard Takes Shape

The Yorkshire Wildlife Trust’s Stirley Community Farm saw its first fruit tree planted this half term, with help from volunteers and visitors to the Half Term Family Fun Day. The ‘Czar’ plum tree, kindly donated by Totties Garden Centre, Holmfirth, was the first of many trees to be planted in the forest garden and training orchard, made possible by generous funding from the Big Lottery’s Local Food grant.

Community groups, volunteers and trainees are busily preparing the next stage of the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust’s fruit and vegetable training area which is designed to demonstrate to local people of all ages how to get involved in growing food both at the farm and in their own gardens, allotments and school grounds.

Kim Warren, the Food Education Officer said, “We are planting a third of an acre of fruit trees here at Stirley, ranging from plums, apples, quince, nuts, pears and damsons which will provide food for both people and wildlife for years to come. As visitor numbers grow, so will the opportunities to see how much of our food can be grown in even the smallest spaces, and there is huge scope for people to come and learn about fruit growing, pruning and harvesting throughout the gardening year.”

During the day, families enjoyed harvesting autumn produce, sowing garlic, making minibeast houses, digging potatoes and storing beetroot and carrots for the winter.

Autumn & Winter 2011 events at Stirley Farm