the common ground book of orchards
conservation, culture and community

This thought provoking and attractive book was published by Common Ground in 2000.

Common Ground, creator of Apple Day, celebrates orchards as our best relations with nature in this unique and sumptuous book. It explores how orchards continue to shape local culture from custom to kitchen and urges us to value old orchards of tall trees for their delicate ecology and local distinctiveness.

Scores of examples demonstrate how, in town and country, Community Orchards provide wholesome food, wild life havens, arenas for communal celebration and inspirational places where the development of orcharding knowledge across generations and ethnicity can flourish.

The result of more than a dozen years of campaigning, this book presents a positive survival plan for orchards in which everyone can take part.

the common ground book of orchards includes 50 photographs of west country orchards by James Ravilious. They show how people have worked with nature to create great richness and beauty. James patiently captured a way of life proud of the hard won knowledge passed from generation to generation.

Contents: Local Distinctiveness, Community Orchards, Saving Orchards, Planting New Orchards, City and Country, Orchard Fruits, Sharing with Nature, Inspiration - arts, crafts, poetry, customs, recipes, Apple Day, Produce, Passing on Knowledge - education formal and informal, An Apple a Day - health, Everyday Tasks - maintenance, Appendices include a Gazetteer of local varieties, useful organization, courses and publications, nurseries, fruit suppliers, funding sources

Read an excerpt from the text

ISBN 1 870364 21 X
224 pages
size: 211 x 260mm landscape
photographs: 27 colour and 97 b&w (50 by James Ravilious)
plus b&w and colour illustrations 

Available from bookshops at £18.95 (distributed by: Worldly Goods tel: +44(0)117 9420165)
or directly from Common Ground