Sunday 16th January 2022
Report written by Sara
Today's brief felt like a secret mission into the Pyrenees: mulch around some guerilla planted fruit trees on the impossibly steep slopes just outside Royate Hill allotments! A true team effort was required to shovel wood chip into crates, transport the crates to the foot of the hill, and then ascend to the lofty heights where the baby fruit trees basked in the sunshine. Luckily, we had a new GG member to help us (welcome, Sarah!!) and nobody discovered that they had vertigo. Meanwhile, on the ground, team Shears & Rakes cut back the encroaching plant life from a public foot path (you're welcome, Bristol City Council). We were rewarded with lovely thank you's from the allotment crew, including some juicy apples from the orchard. Bring on the next mission!
The orchard has a long history starting with winning a champain to keep the allotment site from turning it into a housing site. We are all volunteers who enjoy spending time outside and learning about gardening techniques based on permacuture principles. The coordinator of the project is Mike Feingold who oversees the two areas rented by the community project. We grow annual and perennial vegetables which we share with volunteers and community food groups. We also propagate plants, graft trees, make apple juice and other land-based educational activities. We run 2 monthly workdays where everyone is welcome to drop in with no prior experience expecting fom them.
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