Apple tree planting day February 2012

Tree Planting Day
Two of our members Anne Dixon and Vivien Brinsdon share their experience of our tree planting day. Our thanks to Anne for donating the trees and Viv and the other volunteers for planting them.

“Mike and I bought a smallholding six years ago and immediately began planting trees (apples, plums, cherries, pears, quince, medlars). The great thing about trees is you only have to plant them once and you soon have fruit to pick and it continues for many years.
I’ve been a shareholder at the farm since last year and the purchase of fruit trees was mentioned as a thought for sometime in the future. I decided that to offer to fund some trees and Ben managed to purchase over a hundred trees and materials for the fencing at a fantastic price.
Arriving at the farm on tree planting day it was amazing to see the fencing was already up. The turnout of volunteers was the best we’d seen and working together the trees were planted in an avenue leading up to the top field.
Owning shares in the farm is great but every time we  go to the farm I will be able to see what my money has bought, which is even better. I can highly recommend it.
Hope I get to pick the first apple.”
- Anne Dixon

“On Saturday, 25 February, a couple of dozen volunteers joined together to plant one hundred trees donated by Mike and Ann, true and loving supporters of our community Farm collective.  The first thing we learned was that their love of apples is, and one can appreciate why, shared by our local wildlife loafers, in this case rabbits and deer. Hence when we arrived two rows of deer resistant, we hope, wire fencing lined the pock marked tractor track heading up the slope, on either side of which the trees were to be planted, and each tender trunk we were to plant would be adorned with a protective sock to deter any long eared intruders. 
It was the best of days, a beautiful sapphire blue sky with high cotton wool ball clouds suspended above, while the sun reflected off the lake below.  And what could more in tune with a wonderful Spring Day in Somerset, albeit in February, than planting that most delicious of West Country crops, the apple.   Ben’s sheer enthusiasm for this fruit tree was infectious as he took us through varieties, root-stock and grafting, and his succinct instructions on planting apple trees were only to be matched later by Phil’s strictly linear view of planting, the rows had to be absolutely straight.  It turned out to be a lot more complicated than I thought, planting apples.
And after several hours of labour, not too back breaking as the soil is a rich loam if a little claggy when damp, and the brow furrowing of amateurs that brought forth queries such as 'now which way round did Ben say we have to insert the tree so that it’s well fixed to the support staff’, we all stopped for lunch.  The fairy cakes were luscious and a large bowl of apples made it feel just like a working lunch!  Then it was back to planting for a final hour and the task was done just in time for those amongst us for whom Saturday belongs to rugby, to head off to catch the match on the flat rectangle once fondly referred to as 'the box’.  
It will be a few years before the fruits of Apple Day can be tasted, but the avenue created by the trees with companion planting alongside to attract pollinators, a dash of lavender I hear is favourite, will enhance the natural allure of what is already a stunning location. The Day was crowned when we all gathered around Andy holding aloft The Bath Life Magazine, Ethical Trader of the Year Award, for a photo-shoot to celebrate an endeavour that is close to all our hearts.  What I like most about the apple trees is that they are a mark of The Community Farm’s permanence.  After a hard first year or so, it is here to stay.
P.S. A recording of Apple Day made by one of the volunteers, Gabriel, is available to view on our website.   Remind me to bring my stage make up next time.”
- Vivien Brinsdon

If you'd like to write about your experiences of The Community Farm or share some of your photographs please email us at