Orchards Co-operation

Overview

This was the first co-operation project co-ordinated by the Herefordshire Rivers LEADER+ Programme. In full, the Orchards Project was shared with four other LEADER+ Local Action Groups. These were Somerset Levels and Moors, Mid-Kent LEADER+ Programme, Teignbridge LEADER+ Programme and Cumbria Fells and Dales Programme.

Each LAG concentrated on a different aspect of orchards and orchard produce, providing a local solution to each unique situation. This information was published as a good practice guide for managing orchard projects - 'Protecting Our Orchard Heritage' and is available on loan or reference in all Herefordshire Libraries.

Local Project

The Bulmer Foundation’s mission is:
· To enable and demonstrate sustainable development in conjunction with a fundamental shift in our human understanding and values

In recent years, the Bulmer Foundation developed a way of determining benefits other than those that are purely financial as a way of measuring the value of something, i.e. produce. This is called Triple Bottom Line Accounting, and was used throughout the project. It took into account what the benefits and impacts of these orchards were beyond the harvested fruit, for example the beauty of blossom time landscape, orchards as a habitat for wildlife, and orchards as an opportunity for recreation.

This project, which the Bulmer Foundation managed on behalf of Herefordshire’s Orchard Topic Group, sought to apply this innovative methodology to the orchards in Herefordshire.

With the overall aim of the project being the enhancement of the sustainability of orchards in the Wye and Lugg valleys, the concept of sustainability is based upon an understanding of the inter-dependence of the economic, social and environmental aspects. With Triple Bottom Line Accounting, each one of these factors is equally important.

Some of the aims of this project were:
· To engage stakeholders in exploring positive benefits and negative impacts of different orchards
· To identify and prioritise specific actions that can be taken to enhance sustainability of orchards
· To establish a baseline record against which future changes can be judged

A sample of six orchards were used for this project. Reviews of these orchards determined their importance in relation to all interested parties, such as local people, landowners and national interest groups.

An important element of this project was to demonstrate to the local communities that the future of the county’s orchards were/are being seriously considered and to allow the views of local people to be taken into account in the future of this aspect of their landscape.

This was shown through:
· Community groups being established around the six sample orchard areas
· Community-based environmental training events
· Countryside management training

David Marshall
Associate
The Bulmer Foundation
Tel: 07974 447614
Email: david.marshall@s-n.com

Website: www.bulmerfoundation.org.uk