Low Fulney business owner creates community orchard to help youngsters understand food production

Youngsters learned more about where our food comes from during a visit to a new community orchard.

Bernard and Angie Parrish have worked with Lincolnshire County Council (LCC) to create a community orchard on his land behind Scalextric Racing in Low Fulney, near Spalding, - but this is only the start of his plans.

Mr Parrish is hoping to extend the community orchard, which is made up of native species, to include more commercial varieties of fruit trees along with creating a vegetable patch.

Pupils from Weston Hills Primary School and Spalding High School joined South Holland and the Deepings MP Sir John Hayes in planting a quince tree during an event on May 9.

Mr Parrish, 68, was inspired to get involved with the community orchard scheme in order to help the next generation understand how food is produced.

He said: “I want children to know how things are grown. Some now think that milk comes out of a plastic carton and not a cow or cauliflower comes out of a packet.

“All the things we grow here will be seasonal. There will not be strawberries grown in the middle of winter.

“It is a tribute to my parents, Raymond and Phyllis, who were passionate growers.”

A total of 32 community orchards are being created around the county thanks to the £50,000 grant from the Charles III Living Heritage Fund which had been secured by staff at LCC.

Project officer for trees and woodland creation Wally Grice said that size of the orchards range from five trees to 100.

He said: “Community orchards have a purpose to get people in the community involved and see where fruit comes from and see what happens to get that fruit.”

Youngsters from Weston Hills Primary School had a great time exploring the orchard and finding the different species after being set the task by headtecher Sonya Ely and her team.

Mrs Ely has welcomed the addition of an additional open space for families to enjoy and hopes that it will bring back a closer connection with food sources for children.

She said: “I think the opportunity to be away from everything and just be a part of nature and enjoy it is important.

“Anything that gets children to appreciate the world we live in, gets my vote.”

MP Sir John said it was a really good initiative.