Summary Neighbourhood orchards – Tree Foundation Inventory – Creation, management, maintenance and beneficial use Moens, F. et al (Tree Foundation – Bomenstichting) InnovationNetwork Report No. 11.2.281, Utrecht, The Netherlands, October 2011 Orchards in the public space, neighbourhood orchards, seem to present an opportunity for strengthening the social cohesion in the surrounding neighbourhood. Neighbourhood orchards can also increase our appreciation for food production. InnovationNetwork’s exploratory ‘Cities of Fruit & Honey’ study showed that management and maintenance can be a sticking point in the longer term. The Tree Foundation has made an inventory of how neighbourhood orchards were realized and how the management, maintenance and beneficial use are organized. Ten carefully selected examples were studied for this purpose. Most of the existing neighbourhood orchards were born from the needs of local residents and ecological and/or cultural landscape heritage organizations. A smaller number, of more recent date, are council initiatives with a social objective. These initiatives are still too young to judge whether they help to strengthen the social cohesion in the surrounding neighbourhood. But we can say that both types of neighbourhood orchards serve a social purpose – because the planning of new orchards, the maintenance of young and old orchards, and the harvesting and processing of fruit are all activities that spawn long-lasting groups of volunteers. The orchard connects people. Schools use them for – usually ad-hoc but sometimes regular – nature education classes. In virtually all cases, councils and volunteer organizations take joint responsibility for the management, with the council facilitating the volunteers. Support from experts is indispensable, and volunteers need training and instruction. Continuity can be assured by including the neighbourhood orchard in a council maintenance plan. Important aspects for the volunteers are the connection with the neighbourhood and keeping the interest of residents and politicians alive. 53 Pagina 60
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