Fruit trees everywhere

Nick Kiddey is a man on a mission to get more fruit and nut trees planted in parks and streets in the Nelson region, to help people eat good food for free.
Each week Nick tries to take time out to bicycle around Nelson city, foraging from the many fruit and nut trees that already exist in its suburbs, and he's hoping it's an activity that will catch on.
He is helping to lead the charge in the Nelson region for more food-producing trees and bushes to be planted in public spaces, through a concept called "open orchards".

This article (read the rest here) features our good friend Nick and the spread of the Open Orchard project throughout the country. Today's Southland Times (article not online...yet) describes how far it has got in Southland - a long way, that is, and the involvement of the District Council. They've bought and planted a number of the trees we from the old 'parent' trees from around the area and have taken our original project to the next level - local government involvement.
It's very gratifying.

Nick's a great guy, btw and gave my career a nudge in the right direction by doing what he does best - recognising opportunity.

Another grainy image

This time it's me and Breigh. The Southland Express ran this little story yesterday and I've copied it out below.


Gang HQ idea comes to fruition

BY LEEANA TAMATI

ONE Rimu School pupil's innovative idea has won her apple trees to start her own little orchard in the school.
  Breigh Stanley (10) originally won Invercargill businessman Louis Crimp's competition to decide what to use the patch of land, at Clifton, the former Mongrel Mob's headquarters was on.
  Her idea, to grow a communal orchard, won the $1000 prize Mr Crimp was giving away, but the orchard did not go ahead because he wanted to give the land to charity.
  Local organisation Open Orchard's Robert Guyton said he heard of Breigh's idea and offered to help her out to make and orchard at her school.
  Open Orchard aims to bring back harvesting trees into Southland, he said.
  Mr Guyton was at the school last week helping plant the trees and showing the children how to care for them.
  The pupils had been very welcoming of the idea he said.
  "The kids have been great.
  "They've done all the preparation themselves and they've been digging all the holes themselves.
  "They've made an excellent effort."
  Breigh said she thought of an orchard after she went to the harvest festival at Riverton.
  "I really do enjoy gardening.
  "I also thought that in the area the house was, in that part of town, the community might not have helped each other out before, so I thought it could be something to bring them together."
 

Arboretum orchard

John, Robyn, Jude and I after the planting was done at the Otautau Aboretum.
30 of Southland's most interesting heritage apples safely tucked in.

Open Orchard, Robyn and Taz

Taz 'n' Rob

A project that has returned the unique taste of heritage apples to Southland has gained national and international interest, the project co-ordinator says.

Dozens of people visited the Riverton Environment Centre at the weekend to buy about 400 small fruit trees, which were grafted from orchards throughout Southland in recent years.

The Open Orchard Project co-ordinator, Robyn Guyton, said the small trees sold at the weekend, including 48 varieties

of apple trees, were grafted from trees originally brought to New Zealand last century.

Fearing the old varieties would soon be lost forever, Mrs Guyton said a project team was launched two years ago to take cuttings off old trees and grow small fruit trees from them. "We are saving old varieties of fruit trees, which were all over Southland."

The project has taken off, with people from throughout New Zealand, and from as far afield as Ireland and Scotland, asking about the type of apples they had, she said.

"All the old people are loving us because it reminds them of what the old apples tasted like. We are returning their childhood tastes," Mrs Guyton said.

Apples of yesteryear had more variety than the modern-day apples being sold on the supermarket shelves, she believed. "Some taste spicy, some taste like pineapple, some are citrusy, some are good for baking and others are good for cider. Some are ready in February and some are ready in October.

"The range is huge," she said.

The trees were sold at cheap rates with the money used to keep the old varieties alive.

It was the biggest project of its kind in New Zealand, Mrs Guyton said.

Southland Times article Monday
By Evan Harding
Photo Robyn Edie