Dunsden Community Orchard

You are warmly invited to join the orchard committee for a drink at the Shoulder of Mutton in Playhatch on Thursday December 17 at 7pm.

We will hold a 5 minute vote on an amendment to our constitution, which currently prevents us holding an AGM unless 10 members are present. Please come along, so that we can pass it!

We are also planning regular working parties, starting on Sunday December 6 at 2pm.

Don't forget that the orchard is freely accessible at all times via the gate in Tagg Lane (which is to the left of Dunsden Village Green). Please pop in at any time to see progress in the orchard. If you have sponsored a tree, you are especially welcome. If you feel you would like to help maintain your tree by weeding around it, you are most welcome!

Best wishes

David Woodward, Orchard Chairman

We are holding the orchard's AGM in Dunsden Village Hall on Tuesday November 24th at 7.30pm.

All are welcome. There will be a short business meeting as well as an opportunity for socialising. There will be reports on progress at the orchard, opportunities to get directly involved as well as refreshments and (with luck) local apples.

Despite the recent drought, our trees are surviving, although some still need watering. It is hoped to arrange a working party towards the end of October (more details later). Interesting events in the next week or so include the Henley Show Ploughing Match at Dunsden and a chance to visit the Crosslanes Fruit Farm at Mapledurham.

The ploughing match starts at 9am this Sunday October 4, with the blessing of the plough. Besides heavy horse and tractor ploughing competitions, attractions include birds of prey, ferret racing and craft and trade stalls. Parking is free.

Crosslanes Fruit Farm at Mapledurham is open from 10am to 5pm on Sunday October 11. There will be advice on all aspects of fruit growing, competitions for children, and sales of produce, including apples from amongst the over 60 varieties grown at Crosslanes.

Please join us next Sunday 23 August from 2.30pm for another orchard working party. We will continue work on tidying the orchard and, with a bit of luck, will install our new bench. If you have sponsored a tree, please take advantage of this opportunity to see how the tree is doing (and to tidy around it as well!) - perhaps yours is one of the few with apples this year!

If the day is fine, why not bring a picnic to eat in the orchard beforehand? For further information please call David on 07802 433058.

We are looking forward to tidying up the orchard from 2pm this Sunday. We have some new label-holders to prepare and fix, and depending on who can attend, we may also install a bench at the top of the orchard.

Welcome to our new supporters! A number of people have recently joined the orchard or sponsored trees, following a recent leaflet distribution to Eye & Dunsden and Binfield Heath. We hope to gain further supporters from trips to the Henley and Binfield Heath Shows this year, perhaps even with a few of our own apples.

Thanks to  a much-appreciated loan from Phillimore Farms, a bowser should be in position which we can use to water the trees. Even after the recent rain parts of the orchard are still parched and August is expected to be dry.

If you haven't been to a working party before, do think of joining us on Sunday. We are a friendly bunch!