5 Things You Can Do for Your Orchard While It Sleeps (and you stay indoors!)

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You can do many things to support your little orchard while it rests through the winter months. Here are 5 things you can do for your orchard while it sleeps (and while you stay warm indoors)!

1.      Spread the word about The Giving Grove.  Did you know that The Giving Grove is expanding across the United States?  We want to give every major urban core a chance to revitalize unused land and create a sustainable, environmentally-friendly and, frankly, delicious green space for community members to enjoy.  Check out our Gather+Grow film to learn more about our mission and then share it with your friends.

2.      The key to success is knowledge!  While we wait for our orchard trees to wake up from their winter’s rest, there are numerous ways to grow your orcharding knowledge base. 

  • The Giving Grove website has many orcharding resources, from daily maintenance to pest management.

  • Steward training courses led by your Giving Grove affiliate usually begin in the winter months.  Have you signed up for a training session? These are excellent opportunities to learn more tips of the trade and connect with other stewards in your region.

  • If you are a visual learner, The Giving Grove YouTube page has a library of short, informational films (with more to come in the future).

3.      An orchard thrives best when it’s surrounded by community support.  Begin to plan future events at your orchard. With warmer months on the way, it may be possible to safely attend a small social gathering at your orchard this spring. This is a beautiful opportunity to re-connect with your volunteers and community members and remind folks of the orchard’s spring beauty. (Check out our Facebook page for photos of past orcharding events.)

4.      Create a Facebook page for your orchard (and tag us).  This is a great way to organize volunteer events, workdays, and harvests, as well as share photos and connect with new volunteers!

5.      Help us plant more trees this year by donating today.  Whether it’s $5 or $500, every dollar helps us reach our goal of reaching 15% of all food insecure Americans.  There is no excuse for a child to go hungry.  Help us solve this problem in a way that is sustainable and environmentally-friendly. 

If you enjoy this content, consider subscribing to The Giving Grove’s quarterly newsletter, The Serving, or becoming a member of The Seedling program, a monthly donor program.

Sarah Sikich