Goshen Community Orchard

Once upon a time in Goshen, you could walk down the streets of the city and find a fruit tree growing in the yards of most of the houses that you passed. Fast forward to 2018 and we see that the vast majority of the fruit trees are gone while food insecurity is a real factor in the lives of many Goshen residents. What happened in Goshen? And what can we do to reignite this respect for and interest in home-grown fruit and nuts in our community?

We can plant a community orchard.

What will a community orchard do for Goshen? It will provide us with a community-managed hub for educating Goshen residents about fruit and nut crops and building their skills in planting, caring for, and utilizing the fruits of trees, shrubs and vines that produce fruit and nuts. It will do this using a three-pronged approach:

1. Get Goshen residents excited about growing fruit and nuts in their backyards.
2. Educate Goshen residents about how to care for plants that produce fruit and nuts.
3. Educate Goshen residents about how to process, preserve and utilize fruit and nuts.

The Goshen Community Orchard will incorporate holistic principles and community outreach for education and hands-on skills building.  Multiple stories of fruit and nut trees, edible plants, and native and exotic species will create opportunities for learning through discovery, mentoring, and propagation.

Interested in learning more and getting involved? Email us at goshencommunityorchard@gmail.com

Please read the concept paper below for more info.