Gloucestershire Orchard Group

Tasting Results - 4

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Blossom Day at The GOG Orchard Centre

Sunday 3rd May 12.30 onwards
Picnic in the orchards at Days Cottage amongst the blossom
Free demonstrations of grafting fruit trees, green woodwork, dry stone walling, willow basket making…taster sessions of future workshops.
Covered space if the weather is unkind, and warm up in the yurt.
Refreshments, juice, apple cakes available! Days Cottage, Upton Lane, Brookthorpe, Gloucester GL4 0UT

With Dave Kaspar & Helen Brent-Smith. Tel 01452 813602  www.dayscottage.co.uk

Photos by Ann Smith

SUMMER EVENTS

• Budding workshop with Dave Kaspar at Days Cottage, Upton Lane, Brookthorpe, near Gloucester GL4 0UT.   BOOK NOW!

Sun 5 July 2009 (10am-1pm) and Thu 6 August 2009 (10am-1pm)

(please choose one). Charge: £25. Booking is ESSENTIAL.  Please give Dave a ring on 01452 813602 if interested and he can book you in.  There will be access to propagation material from the museum orchard. Opportunity to look around the museum orchard and new GOG Orchard & Rural Crafts Centre.

Our full GOG library is not available at the budding workshops, but Dave has useful books to browse.  This is an ideal opportunity to chat with Dave about your specific orchard requirements and network with others.

Tea and coffee provided.  Please bring a sharp knife (and elastoplasts!).

Park at the house (look for GOG sign) – there is a one way system.

MISTLETOE MARBLE MOTH RECORDING

(Funded through the National Trusts’ Conserving and Restoring Traditional Orchards, England Project)

If you live in the counties of Somerset, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Warwickshire or Monmouthshire and fancy a winter’s walk, then, in trying to keep to a Christmas theme, you could help us by searching for mines of the Mistletoe Marble Celypha woodiana, one of the recent additions to the UK Biodiversity Action Plan, on Mistletoe. The moth is particularly associated with orchards, especially where Mistletoe abounds, but occasionally can be found away from such sites. The mines are rather inconspicuous at this time of year, being crescent-shaped and marked with and entrance hole (a), but can be found from December onwards. The larva resumes feeding later in spring, with the mine becoming more like an inflated blister (b), these being more obvious towards May. Mines can occur at low density, but thicker, more succulent clumps of Mistletoe appear to be preferred. Binoculars can aid searching! If you do find this species, please forward the record to your County Moth Recorder and to Mark Parsons (mparsons@butterfly-conservation.org), preferably with a supporting photograph of the mine. Please remember not to enter private land or pick Mistletoe unless you have the permission of the landowner.

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Hartpury Perry Pear Orchard Centre Open Days

• Thursday 14 May 2009
  • Official Opening by Lord Lieutenant of Gloucestershire Henry Elwes - INVITATION ONLY
• Friday 15 May 2009: 10am - 4pm
  • Peter Mitchell will be on hand to answer questions about the cider and perry courses that he holds there
• Saturday 16 May 2009: 10am - 4pm Public Open day
  • Self guided trail around orchard with views of wetland/guided walks at 11am and 2.30 pm
  • Displays & perry tasting 2pm - 4pm children's games teas

With Jim Chapman; www.tasteandexplore.co.uk

Address
The Orchard Centre, Blackwell's End, Hartpury, Gloucester GL19 3DB    (GPS usually takes you about half mile passed the Centre!)

Directions
From Gloucester take A40 west to Ross-on-Wye and South Wales. Cross a branch of river Severn and within a mile take A417 to Ledbury (at roundabout - if you cross the second branch of the Severn you have missed the turning). Drive through village of Maisemore and after 5 miles from roundabout you will reach Hartpury.  Take turning to left shortly after 'Royal Exchange'  Inn into Corsend Road (brown signed to Hartpury Church and Bee Shelter). After a mile take first turn to right signed to Blackwell's End. The Orchard Centre is the first building you come to on the right hand side (about half mile from turning).

Photo, above, by Jim Chapman. Photos, below, by Juliet Bailey and Ann Smith. Below, Henry Elwes planting a tree, and Henry Elwes cutting the ribbon.

Countywide Apple Day events for the public 2008

Download events list [PDF]

Juice, Cider & Perry courses

Bookings taken for Juice, Cider & Perry courses at Hartpury, near Gloucester with Jim Chapman & Peter Mitchell at the new Perry Orchard Centre (Hartpury Historic Land & Buildings Trust) www.tasteandexplore.com

PERRY PEAR DAY/AUTUMN SHOW AT THE THREE COUNTIES SHOWGROUND, MALVERN each September.

Organized by the Three Counties Cider & Perry Association, in association with the Slow Food movement. GOG member Jim Chapman displays a wide range of perry pears (upto 70 varieties) and their fascinating history. This is always an opportunity to take along your perry pear samples for comparison/possible identification. Producers (including Tom Oliver of Olivers Cider & Perry) sell perry and Peter Mitchell ‘explores’ perry.  This is a unique annual event in the UK.

© Jim Chapman and Charles Martell 2007 Malvern Autumn Show (Three Counties)

Linked Events and Courses

Sue Gibson will be holding this year's workshop on Growing and Training Fruit Trees in Small Spaces on Saturday, 1st August 2009 from 10.00am to 4.00 pm.   It will be held in her garden in Slimbridge, Glos, starting with the theory of fruit growing, followed by a practical on training fruit trees as espaliers, stepovers and other shapes.   Participants will practise pruning the espaliers and other trained trees in her garden.   Early booking is advised, but if the course is over subscribed a second date will be offered.   If students wish to bring their own maiden fruit trees in pots, they can learn how to start training them during the course.

Please call Sue Gibson on 01453 890820, e-mail: sue.gibson@tiscali.co.uk, www.iteachgardening.co.uk Sue Gibson School of Gardening

Sarah Juniper runs her own private courses and has co-edited “The Compleat Planter and Cyderist” with her father Dr. Barrie Juniper, who is an expert on the origin of the apple and who has spoken at one of our AGMs. Establish your own miniature orchard. Choose from 140 varieties.  One day courses in January and February (including lunch & refreshments).  Ring Sarah Juniper for more information and to book.  The Apple Factor, 109 Woodmancote, Dursley, Gloucestershire GL11 4AH. 01453 545675.   www.sarahjuniper.co.uk/applefactor

Ragmans Lane Farm www.ragmans.co.uk Also run courses

TRADITIONAL ORCHARDS HAVE NATIONAL/UK BAP PRIORITY HABITAT STATUS

Joan Ruddock, governmental minister for Biodiversity, and a team of media, visited GOG chairman Dave Kaspar and Helen Brent-Smith at their traditional orchards at Days Cottage Apple Juice, Brookthorpe, near Gloucester on Tuesday 28 August 2007! She announced that Ministers approve priority species and habitats list to focus future conservation action.

The news release is http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/2007/070828b.htm

This is following Natural England’s detailed ecological surveys at half a dozen sites throughout the UK (including Gloucestershire), showing that traditional orchards are a unique habitat for many fauna and flora. Orchards now have National Priority Habitat status, which is excellent news. We are privileged that GOG was in the media for Joan Ruddock’s announcement! Helen was on the Today BBC Radio 4 programme and Days Cottage was on the lunchtime news on BBC and ITV.

Fruit Wanted:

See Where to Sell and Where to Buy

Subsidized Training

We have a pruning workshop in February, a grafting workshop in March, a budding workshop in July and a free fruit identification workshop at Pershore College in October. Open to members only and booking required.

Summer and Autumn events

Budding workshop - members only/booking required

Orchard lichens or other habitats visit in August - members only

Plum Day in August - members only

GOG Social/Share your produce - members only

Pear Day in September at the Three Counties Showground, Malvern (Autumn Show) - large display of perry pears in conjunction with the Three Counties Cider & Perry Association and the Slow Food movement.

Fruit ID workshop members only/booking required

For details on how to join, including the many benefits of being a GOG member, click here.

Orchard Management Advice

Natural England (Chris Wedge) have just produced a series of highly informative Technical Information Notes (TINs) on orchard management, available free for anyone.

http://naturalengland.communisis.com/NaturalEnglandShop/    Key in Orchards under “Search”.

People's Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) Traditional Orchard Project (across England)

If you own an orchard and would like a small ecological survey, particularly to look for the rare noble chafer beetle, please contact anita@ptes.org

Results of Gloucestershire Apple Tastings

Download (3.27MB)

GOG Wallpaper

Click to download the official GOG Wallpaper.

Identification keys for apples

Click here to download two basic keys to identify commonly grown apples in the UK.

• Key based on Bultitude 1983 [Word file, 188k]
• Key based on groups in Bunyard 1920 [Word file, 212k]

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Natural England), Environmental Stewardship

Environmental Stewardship (ES) has replaced the Countryside Stewardship and Environmentally Sensitive Area Schemes.
More details on the Grants page.

Habitat Action Plan

The Habitat Action Plan for old orchards in Gloucestershire has been redrafted and the new version has recently been accepted by all members of the Gloucestershire Biodiversity Action Plan partnership. It lays out the state of the county's orchards, their importance in landscape and historic terms as well as for wildlife, and what must be done to safeguard and improve the future. GOG takes a leading role.

Varietal research

Research into Gloucestershire varieties still continues, and we flag up here some areas of recent correspondence and debate.

Apple press for hire

Available for hire to GOG members. Contact the Secretary, Ann Smith, for more information.

Also for hire: hand crushers, press and stainless steel pasteurizer

Wanted

Hand-operated mill in good condition. Please contact Meyrick Brentnall 01452 396829 (work)/01242 581314 (home) email meyrickb@gloucester.gov.uk