Local people growing local fruit.
Dorking Community Orchard CIC maintains a community orchard of heritage and local fruit trees for the benefit of all the residents of Dorking and surrounding communities. DCO also provides educational workshops e.g.pruning, propagation, biodiversity for adults and schoolchildren.
We're located just north of the Ranmore Allotments close to the West Dorking Rail Station. See our website for directions.
Why the community needs usDorking Community Orchard works to restore local fruit -- we not only provide the community with fruit with very low food miles but also heritage varieties -- the kind that supermarkets won't sell. We work to maintain the biodiversity of our site e.g. providing a safe haven for reptiles, insects, and wildflowers. In addition to running our orchard we provide workshops to educate people on growing their own fruit.
Our impact on the communitySince December 2009 we have:
1) planted 100 trees - including apple, pear, plum, and cherry;
2) hosted Apple Day celebrations on Dorking High Street giving out samples of freshly pressed juice to nearly 1000 people;
3) run workshops on trees and bugs for schoolchildren;
4) run workshops on pruning, propagation, and permaculture;
5) worked closely with Surrey Wildlife Trust and others to ensure we're managing the land in a way that encourages biodiversity.
We hold regular work days at the orchard for planting, clearing, tidying etc. Check the calendar on our website for our next work day. Or email us at orchardfriend@gmail.com
