A piece of fresh fruit in a grocery store has traveled an average of 1,200 miles and been handled by an average of 6 people on its way there – 20% of the energy cost of that fruit was due to the packaging necessary to transport it in a presentable condition. The knowledge of how to grow fresh, local fruit has largely been lost to mega-farms in Washington State and California. The Urban Orchard Project was started in 1999 to reintroduce this valuable knowledge to ordinary people by planting groves of locally adapted fruit and nut trees and to use those trees as a platform to teach people how to grow fresh fruit using healthy, organic methods.
Starting with a small orchard in a public housing project in 1999 the program has grown to include orchards approaching one acre in size. During the 2010/2011 planting season, TreeFolks helped five community groups plant small orchards at Festival Beach Community Garden, Jordan Elementary Community Garden, Laurel Mountain Elementary, Manchaca United Methodist Community Garden and Reagan High School Community Garden.
If you would like to establish an orchard in a public space in Central Texas, please submit an application for the 2011/2012 planting season. For more information, please contact carly@treefolks.org.
The Urban Orchard Project Guidelines
The Urban Orchard Project Application
Fruit & Nut Tree Growing Guide for Central Texas