Community orchards at their best are many things at once: a social space, a coming together of people to work together on a common task; a celebration of the abundant harvest of fruit; a haven for wildlife and a pocket of biodiversity. Read more

Every so often something happens that punctures our sense of what’s normal. In the UK one of those events was empty shelves that used to display fruit and veg. Then supermarkets began rationing some food items. Read more

A celebration of local, seasonal soft fruit and the memories that it can evoke. Read more

How to cook your homegrown quince! Read more

Apple juice is in some ways more difficult to make than cider, and indeed it can scarcely be regarded as a traditional product at all. Until the recognition late in the 19th century that fermentation was caused by yeast converting sugar into alcohol, the difference between juice and cider was somewhat obscure and of little practical importance in any case. Read more

Our network members Ben and Lorraine of Forest Crafts are hoping to find one or two people to help them develop a new business involving market gardening, working horses and working alongside volunteers. It’s a great opportunity for the right person / people. Read more

We’d like to bring the Landworkers’ Alliance to your attention if you don’t know them already. They’re a wonderful organisation that could do with your support. You could help them in a small way by purchasing their beautiful 2022 calendar, or if you have a shop, ordering in bulk at a discount to sell on. Read more

The Orchard Project are a superb group establishing and maintaining urban community orchards. The are beneficial in so many ways, including biodiversity, community cohesion, local food, carbon storage and human well-being. Here, they explain an approach called ‘nature-based solutions’. Read more

Here is an in-depth look at the Velojuicer, our pedal-powered apple juicer. A lightweight, mobile, all-in-one machine that scrats, presses, and juices apples using only human power and a bit of good humour. Read more

In the final instalment of how to start a community garden with Ethical.net, it’s time to address the key issues of planning and design, as well as how to make sure it’s sustainable in every way. Read more

With the UK lockdown ongoing, many of us will be dreaming of days when we can once again be out and about and active in our local community. With this in mind, we share a series from Ethical.net exploring how to start a community garden. Read more

Nick Mann of Habitat Aid charts a five month journey of beautiful blossom and how people and pollinators alike can benefit from its bounty. Read more

With many of us taking steps to grow our own food right now, some for the first time, our friends at Ethical.net set out how and why to grow a food forest in your garden. Read more

Ruby Taylor of Native Hands shares her forage of the month for October with a delicious fruit leather recipe we can’t wait to try… Read more

You’ve picked your apples but what to do now? Learn how to make the best of the harvest with Nick Mann’s brief guide to how to store apples over the winter. Read more

I’m too busy to have a vegetable garden. I don’t have the mental energy to think about when it’s time to buy seeds, to plant them, water them, prick them out into pots, dig the garden, plant them, and then continue to water them, weed them and harvest them. Read more

Lesley Anderson learns about the ups and downs of life for crofters Beth and Tim Rose in the Scottish Highlands. Read more

OrganicLea are planning a woodland classroom but need your help to make it happen. Craig Bayne tells us more about how you can get involved with this fantastic opportunity to create more space for nature-based learning and food growing skills in north east London. Read more

We hear from Maresa Bossano about the CSA Open Day events promising fun, friendship and the opportunity to learn about your local community farm this autumn. Read more

With careful management the orchard floor can become a thriving wildflower meadow, a habitat which is not only good for the wildlife, but also good for the soul.  Read more