We’ve had a successful season so far this year in the orchard, along with all of the ups and downs that organic farming entails, of course!
We lost a row of the delightful Angelina plums, but luckily, we had another that the birds didn’t find.
We have loved bringing you all a range of organic fruit so far this year, and there’s plenty more to come, with apples, pears, and plums still coming to market.
Learning Fruit Growing Skills
Along with feeding the community, another major part of the Orchard Keepers philosophy is sharing knowledge about all we do throughout the year with our community.
One way we do this is by having an in-depth lesson each week on a range of topics, as well as exposing our volunteer Fruit Crew to a range of practical jobs while they are on the farm.
The lessons are designed to complement our jobs in the orchard, teaching Fruit Crew the “why” as well as the “how”.
It is lovely to hear how our vollies are going, putting their learning into practice at home, and we are always happy to answer their questions.
Pruning Workshop Coming Soon
We are expanding on our knowledge-sharing by running a Summer Pruning workshop for the wider community later this month.
It will cover the basics of summer pruning—the how, why, and when; and will give you confidence to tackle your own fruit trees.
Making the right decisions early on can save you time in the long run, making your tree the best it can be, as soon as possible. You’ll learn how to prune young trees, look after mature trees, and even how to do renovation pruning.
The course will start with an in-depth lesson run by Katie and Hugh of Grow Great Fruit. Then we’ll break for a cuppa and some delicious morning tea, featuring some fruity baked goods made from our own Orchard Keepers fruit.
Then we’ll hit the orchard and give the participants a chance to put the theory into practice by having a crack at our trees, under the cheerful guidance of Katie, Hugh, and other talented pruners from the Orchard Keepers team.
If you are feeling hesitant about starting your pruning this year, we’d love to see you there!
Workshop details
Date: Sunday, April 27
Time: 9.30 am – 12.30 pm
Venue: 69 Dann’s Road, Harcourt, VIC, 3453
Cost: Waged—$77, Concession—$47
