Another dream is set to become a reality for the Altona Community Action Network (ACAN).
Following on the ongoing success of the Community Garden, a local task force has been working hard for the past few years to establish a community orchard as well.
Member Joel Martin says things are slowly coming together.
“We’re finally at the point where we can start doing the work. Originally, we were going to have a pond, but that fell through, so that delayed our plans a bit.”
In 2022, Altona town council agreed to allow ACAN to develop a plot north of the garden and turn it into a community orchard. Since then, the task force has been planning and adjusting its initial blueprint. Martin says they are now ready to get to work.
Starting in spring, the task force will scrape excess clay off the top of the soil, plant a shelterbelt with a variety of trees, and seed 2.5 acres of mixed grasses and legumes.
“We’re hoping to use some of the clay to create berms that will add some topography for landscaping.”
Another acre will be dedicated to the orchard with over 100 fruit trees, and the remaining land will see bramble, shrubs, and an edible garden, with bushes that produce fruit. Whether any fruit trees go in the ground in the fall will depend on the progress of fundraising efforts.
“It will serve as an extension of the already successful Community Garden,” Martin said. “The goal, decades into the future, is for people to enjoy the space. Eventually, there will be a trail that links the orchard and the community garden, and benches placed throughout for people to sit back and enjoy the blooms.”
The new timber frame pavilion at the centre of the community will also provide a space to host food-preservation workshops.
“Unlike the garden where people can plant and grow stuff and get results right away, the orchard is more of a long-term plan because we are dealing with trees,” Martin said. “But let’s say 20 years from now, you’ll walk there in the spring and it will be full of blooms, and it will be another great green space in Altona.”
Boasting several varieties of apples, pears, and plums, to name a few, each row will be diversely planted, mixing up the various fruit trees. The entire orchard is based on a farm in Montreal that uses permaculture principles.
“There’s no tilling so it’s all mulching,” explained Martin. Several members of the task force already have experience and expertise in these practices.
“This will be more than just a typical orchard. The rows won’t just have apple trees. There will be a variety of trees like plums and pears. Every row will be different. And hopefully we’ll have quite a few different varieties of apples that are suitable to our area. In between the trees, eventually we’ll grow plants like rhubarb or currants, so all the rows will be full.
“We’re hoping that once it starts producing, families can go in there and pick what they like. We’ll have signage to indicate how much they can pick per family, and what’s left can be shared with the food bank and The Community Exchange. And if it’s a real bumper crop, we’re looking for local cider houses to take the apples.”
He added that the whole idea is not to work against nature but to use it to their advantage.
“You want a lot of diversity so that it attracts wildlife like insects and birds and creates a natural habitat that has food for them. The birds will eat the insects and there will even be bees for nectar and pollination, there will even be wasps that control other insects as well.”
They will also be installing a trickle irrigation system.
“It doesn’t use as much water and, especially in a clay soil, most of it runs off,” explained Martin. “So, the trickle system is slow, and a feeder pipe sprays the root system of the trees directly, and there’s not much evaporation, so that way it’s more sustainable. It’s affordable and saves on labour. And once the trees are established, you won’t need to use it as much.”
Martin says the orchard could become an educational site for local students as well.
“We’re hoping that schools can use it. If the system works, there will be a lot of birds and insects to look at.”
Once it’s up and running, the plan is to collect a pool of volunteers that will work throughout the season to maintain the orchard through events like working-bees.
“We want people to be invested in the project,” said Martin. “If they’re involved then they’ll get invested, take some ownership and they’ll be proud to be caring for the orchard.”
The long-term plan, he says, is to hire someone for the summer to oversee the orchard and the community garden.
But first, the task force needs to raise money to pay for the estimated $40,000 project.
“We applied for community grants, and the Town of Altona gave us $8,000. And last week, Red River Mutual gave us another $5,000, so right now, we’re up to $18,000.”
Martin says they’ve even received $2,000 from Southern Health-Santé Sud to purchase trees.
“They’re looking at the mental health benefits of going to an orchard and being in nature.”
In support of this ongoing project, a fundraising concert dubbed Fruit Jam is planned for Saturday, April 13 at The Community Exchange. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the show starts at 7 p.m.
The event will offer entertainment, refreshments, a raffle and a homemade quilt silent auction. Performers include Paul Bergman, Dejavu, Liam Martin, and The Sixagons.
“It’s our first fundraising event for the orchard,” said Martin. “It’s going to be a full night and we’re hoping for a good turnout.”
