The Community Orchard in Altona will continue to take shape this spring.
A-CAN, the grassroots group behind the effort, planted a shelter belt and built some berms at the site, located just north of the Community Garden, last year.
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This year, explained spokesperson, Joel Martin, the first of the fruit trees will be planted. Many of them, apple trees including Goodlands, Honey Crips, Prairie Sensation, Odessey, Candy Crisp and Crab. As well, Pin Cherry trees will be going in along with two varieties each of apricots and pears, and three varieties of plum.
"It'll be a diverse orchard. It'll be nice to see in ten years when they bloom in May, when the orchard is full, it'll be really nice," commented Martin, referring to the many blossoms the trees will produce as the fruit develops. "Plus, the shelterbelt will have blossoms also because it's very diverse with native trees and shrubs. That's the long-term project."
Also planned for the orchard this year is a trail that will start at the neighbouring Community Garden, go over the berms and connect to the recreation trail to the north. A water line will also be brought in in order to install a drip irrigation system.
A Community Effort
With all this, Martin says the task force leading the orchard effort will be looking for a few helping hands this spring. Volunteers would not only help plant the fruit trees, but Martin says they also need a few people to come around once-a-month or so to do other work in the orchard.
"We want people to start having some kind of sense of ownership for the orchard," he said.
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