Many Hands Make Light Work: Hundreds of Members Get Stuck in to Plant 310 Fruit Trees Across The Nation

On the cusp of Spring on a weekend in March, 300 of our lovely members across nine towns in the UK came together with spades in hand and mud on their boots to partake in the largest coordinated community orchard planting event of 2025. In a powerful display of community action, we planted 310 apple trees all whilst reclaiming food heritage, strengthening local food security and proving that when communities come together, they can create real, lasting change.

Fewer Fruit Trees Means Less Wildlife, Heritage and Local Produce

Britain's orchards are disappearing at an alarming rate, with around two-thirds lost since 1960. A report from the National Trust highlights that the south-west has been one of the hardest-hit regions, losing orchard land equivalent to nearly twice the size of Bristol. In cities, these vital green spaces have been cleared for housing and development, while in rural areas, they've been replaced with farmland. Orchards offer far more than just a harvest of fruit, they're havens for pollinators, a key player in creating biodiversity and a way of creating local food resilience. Traditional orchards provide seasonal, homegrown fruit that supports communities and reduces the reliance on imported produce.

Fruit Trees Support Our Native Pollinators

Orchards provide a vital sanctuary for a range of native pollinators, supporting species essential for both biodiversity and healthy ecosystems. Tree bumblebees play a key role in pollinating fruit trees, while rose chafer beetles help maintain the health of these trees. Hoverflies contribute by controlling garden pests, and leaf cutter and mason bees are crucial for pollinating a wide variety of plants. Later in the year, we will focus on building nesting habitats across our sites for these species to help sustain their populations and the important work they do.

Apple For Crunching, Cooking And Cider

For those who love to cook, the orchards have been planted with some of the best culinary apples around like the undisputed king of cooking apples – the Bramley. Our orchards are also home to some of the finest traditional cider-making apples like the Dabinett and the legendary Kingston Black. And of course, we've got that straight-off-the-tree goodness with apples ready to be eaten once they're ripe, varieties include, Beauty of Bath, Charles Ross and Kidd's Orange Red. Yum!

At every site, we planted four rare apple varieties in a bid to keep these special fruits alive and thriving for future generations. Among the 310 trees, we made space for, Pitmaston Pineapple, Bramall Lane Champagne, English Codling and Rosemary Russet.

We're on a mission to bring back forgotten flavours, boost biodiversity and prove that heritage apples still deserve a place in our orchards. Check out the infographic below to meet the varieties!

Behind every tree planted in this project are the passionate growers dedicated to preserving rare and traditional apple varieties as well as the modern fruit trees. We sourced our trees from Adams Apples, Fruit Works and Sheffield Fruit Trees, three brilliant suppliers who share a deep commitment to biodiversity, sustainability and keeping local food traditions alive.

Adam's Apples

Adam's Apples is the largest grower of fruit trees in the South West of England, based in Dulford, East Devon. They nurture thousands of trees each year, using sustainable methods like green manures, mulches and innovative weeding tools, all whilst avoiding herbicides and pesticides. Certified organic by the Soil Association in April 2024, their approach also supports biodiversity, attracting beneficial insects and wildlife such as ladybirds, hedgehogs and barn owls. Passionate about cider, nursery owner Tom Nancarrow won Supreme Champion Cider at the Devon County Show in 2018 for his naturally sparkling "Pet Nat" cider. We're excited to pick his brain about the best cider-making practices once our orchards are ready to harvest!

Fruit Works

Fruit Works Co-operative is a social enterprise based in Bradford and Leeds, dedicated to helping communities plant and maintain fruit trees. Their mission is to encourage more people to grow their own fruit, fostering resilient local food systems. In response to climate change and biodiversity loss, Fruit Works promotes tree planting as an effective way to capture carbon and restore ecosystems. Since its founding in 2020, the co-operative has grown rapidly, working with schools, councils, community groups and individuals. Their work includes designing and planting orchards, pruning mature trees, growing and selling fruit trees, and offering hands-on training workshops.

Sheffield Fruit Trees

Sheffield Fruit Trees is a social enterprise fruit tree nursery based in Meersbrook, South Sheffield, with an exciting new orchard and nursery site in Moss Valley. Dedicated to promoting sustainable fruit growing, the nursery specialises in a wide variety of fruit trees and perennial edible plants, with a particular focus on varieties that thrive in the Northern climate. They grow fruit varieties that are unique to Sheffield, many of which can't be found anywhere else. Sheffield Fruit Trees is committed to an ecologically-conscious approach, using only naturally occurring nutrients and sprays to keep the trees healthy and thriving. The nursery has received tremendous local support, including a successful crowdfunder that helped establish the new Moss Valley site.

Creating Lasting, Living Infrastructures Through Fruit Trees For Future Communities

For decades, community gardens and market gardens were the beating heart of our food systems – scattered across cities, towns, and villages, providing fresh produce, local jobs and a sense of shared purpose. But over time, these green spaces have been pushed to the margins. Land once used to feed communities has been swallowed up by development, squeezed out by industrial farming, or left to fall into disrepair. Meanwhile, our national food security grows more fragile by the year. We import nearly half of what we eat, leaving us vulnerable to price hikes, supply chain disruptions and the increasing impacts of climate change.

At the same time, our communities feel more fractured than ever. There's a growing sense of division, of disconnection – from each other, from the land, from the very things that sustain us! Throughout history, people have turned to community in times of crisis, rolling up their sleeves to rebuild, replant, and reconnect.

This event highlights a hunger for community-led food growing and hands-on environmental action. They provide food security at a local level, offer a space for people to come together and help the land heal in the process. Each site is home to 30 heritage apple varieties – many of which have vanished from supermarket shelves – ensuring decades of free, local produce while creating vital habitats for pollinators.

Want to be involved with our community projects?

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📚 Hear about our previous tree planting days

LIKED THIS? READ THIS ⬇️

https://www.rootsallotments.com/blogs/surplus-produce-partnerships
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https://www.rootsallotments.com/blogs/2-000-tree-saplings-tuckers-meadow

Hey friend! We’re Roots Allotments.

We create shared spaces for local food production and nature.
They provide members with everything they need to get started, from seeds, tools, and plants, to growing advice, whilst fostering community with in-person workshops and events. The spaces consist of a mixture of biodiversity-boosting habitats like native woodland and hedgerows, fruit orchards, insect habitats, ponds, and wildflower meadows. Together we can show that food can be grown with nature and not against it.