Here are some pictures of the 2015 harvest. Although we don’t have a lot to do with the farm it’s always nice to see the harvest coming in.
The apple trees in the pictures are planted as part of an agroforestry scheme intended to improve the productivity of the land.
The apples trees (currently only two years old) will provide apples as a crop. They will also contribute leaves and trimmings to increase the organic matter in the soil and provide shelter for the crop planted between rows. We are currently taking part in a study about the microclimate between the rows, measuring temperature and windspeed monthly and tree size annually. There isn’t much to measure yet but over the 20 years planned for the study we are hoping to build up a substantial body of knowledge. Finally, the rows will provide biodiversity, which will help in pollination and pest control.
