On Wednesday 6th March 2024, 25 new fruit trees were planted in the Community Orchard at Barley Fields in Holybourne, Alton.
Alton Town Council were joined by little green fingers from Holybourne Village Pre-school and the Lime Tree Nursery who were very keen to get digging and planting the trees, rescuing some wriggly worms and get a little muddy whilst learning about where their fruit comes from.
The planting of the new community orchard trees was a real team effort, with students from Eggar’s School, opposite Barley Fields, who showed great resilience and determination with digging the holes. Working alongside local families, Alton Town Mayor, Cllr Annette Eyre, Dr June Chatfield OBE, Cllr Graham Hill and Cllr Suzie Burns.
We would like to thank the Hampshire Forest Partnership for donating the additional 25 fruit trees (a variety of apple, pear, plum, cherry, quince and gage) as a living legacy in leaves from the King’s Coronation Living Heritage Fund. The new trees join those that were planted on Friday 26th November 2021, by Alton Town Council and volunteers from Alton Local Food Initiative (ALFI) and Barley Fields residents.
If you would like to get involved in community planting projects or donate a fruit tree to one of Alton’s Community Orchards please contact Emily-Jane Messenger, Community Projects and Enhancements Officer on or call 01420 83986.
Community orchards and gardens are an excellent opportunity for schools and the community to learn new skills such as wildlife identification, horticultural skills, and maintenance of the trees. They create green networks across towns and help wildlife too, increasing biodiversity and boosting pollinator populations.
If you are interested in planting your own community orchard or adding to an existing community orchard the Hampshire Forest Partnership team are on hand to provide advice and support. The types of applicants that would be eligible are schools, resident’s associations, community groups, charities, businesses, parish/town/district councils. For more information, please visit www.hants.gov.uk/hampshireforestpartnership
