Sunday’s BBC Countryfile focussed on the Orchards of South Devon. In a truly lovely piece, which resonated with such warm vibrations, Community Project Officer Nicky Bailey described how:
‘The fruit isn’t the apple, the fruit is the space and the place for people to come together and make that connection with each other and with nature, and I think in recent times that’s been even more important’.
Totally agree. Here’s some pictures of COPSE and community partners doing just that....

.....and yet, according to Jonathan Essex of the Green House Think Tank, ‘there is absolutely no reason why we cannot be self- sufficient in at least these fruits.’ All the more reason to nurture and protect existing traditional orchards and create new community orchards.. Reduce food miles. Increase resilience. Nurture biodiversity. Build community spirit.

Yesterday was a chill but sun-filled morning for harvesting ripe fruit for fizz - grapes for wine, apples for cider!
We joined a small crew to help our friend Al gather in the grapes from the small vineyard he manages. With an apple tree on the perimeter, it was the perfect opportunity to harvest crates of apples too!

https://www.instagram.com/p/CFId7S3hw0D/?igshid=jumqveq7k6td
A glut of green tomatoes and apples - o what to do?!?
Green tomato and apple glutney of course!