Opportunities

Our local orchards have potential to produce a wide range of produce. A summary of some of these is provided below.

Fresh fruit

Fruit that is grown locally, freshly picked and ‘in season’ may cost a little more but the rewards are good flavour, a range of interesting varieties, and low ‘food miles’. These are increasing seen as important issues for consumers and there is an expanding market for quality, local fruit. The main outlets for these products are farmers markets, farm shops, local fruit & vegetable shops, and special events such as Apple Day.

Frozen fruit

Every year, the Clyde Valley produces a large quantity of plums within a short season. This presents a real challenge for marketing the product and frozen fruit is one method of helping to tackle this problem. A small number of local stores stock local frozen fruit, including plums, damsons and hedgerow fruit, e.g. Overton Farm Shop, but there is certainly a potential for developing this product where facilities exist.

Preserves

Fresh fruit juices, locally made wines and cider, jams and chutneys have a long history of small-scale production in the Clyde Valley, mainly for domestic use. Although we have plenty of fruit and a growing market for high quality local preserves, the production and marketing of these produces presents a number of challenges. Making a fruit preserve is often labour intensive and there are various health and trading standards to consider if developing this as a business. Nevertheless, there are some very good opportunities opening up for certain high value, less labour intensive products. Watch this space!

Baking

Fresh and frozen orchard fruit are basic ingredients for a large number of traditional puddings, cakes and tarts. Restaurants, local bakers and small specialist businesses may be interested in purchasing fruit for their products. There is, of course, potential for developing your own business using and promoting local fruit in home baked products.

Wood products

As fruit trees get older they sometimes need to be cut down and replaced with younger trees. The old orchards of the Clyde Valley contain a fair number of trees that are beyond restoration but the wood can be used for a number of purposes. Applewood produces sweet-smelling logs, is used in the smoking industry (for meat, fish and cheese), and makes an excellent turning timber, particularly for detailed spindle and bowl work. The bowl on the right (cherry wood) was made by David Mainland, a woodturner based in Ayr.  Many of the local orchards include, or are surrounded by, other native trees and woodland that could be managed to produce a certain amount of timber. One orchard already has a local market for small diameter hazel coppice for hurdle making. Local sawmills may be interested in the larger timber.

Bees

Bees are vital to the successful pollination of fruit trees. Orchards can provide good homes for beehives and the honey can generate extra income. Traditionally, orchards were stocked with about two hives to the hectare, and even today many ’working’ orchards in other areas of the UK have at least one hive. Many commercial apple orchards now rely on mobile bees, ­ ‘flying squads’ ­ hired in from April to early May. You can find out more about beekeeping from the British Beekeepers Association or by contacting beekeepers involved in the Clyde Valley Orchard Group .

Livestock

Livestock have always been an important part of traditional orchard management, which is often associated with sheep, geese and poultry and in some areas, with particular breeds such as Gloucestershire Old Spot pigs. They can provide valuable grazing for livestock but careful management is necessary to avoid damage to trees or reduction to the value of the areas for wildlife. Managing orchards for livestock and fruit production is not as straightforward or always as advisable as some of the literature suggests. However, with good advice and management a range of benefits can be achieved.

Edible mushrooms

Edible mushrooms can be grown on logs stacked in the shade of a fruit tree. Orchards can provide an excellent habitat for growing a range of mushrooms although the best to grow are shitake, grown on logs of oak or beech. Shitake keep up to 2 weeks in the fridge, can be produced throughout the year (avoid the wild mushroom season) and sold to restaurants and through farmers markets.

Mistletoe

Mistletoe is a very hardy plant that will grow wherever its common host trees grow, including Scotland. It is largely limited by seed distribution mainly by the Mistle Thrush, occurrence of the host trees, and the need for a moist spring to start germination. It is slow to establish but on the cultivated apple it is possible to have berried plants by the 5th year. With the lost of both natural habitat and the decline of the Mistle Thrush population, mistletoe is becoming increasingly sought after. There is plenty of information available on propagation of this plant, which is traditionally done by emulating the Mistle Thrush and Blackcap and smearing the berries onto the intact branch.

Other Crops

With careful planning, a range of other, often complimentary, crops can be grown in the orchard. These include herbs, wildflowers/bulbs, greenery such as holly and a range of vegetables. There is a large demand for certain types of foliage, particularly species with shiny, waxy leaves such as rhododendron, ivy and cherry laurel as they tend to be longer lasting. A good example is holly with berries, which can fetch a high price towards Christmas time. Note that there are statutory laws and guidelines relating to the ‘uprooting’ or picking of wild native plants.