It was our last official stewardship day at Ben Nobleman Park Community Orchard, and the gang came out in full force. We spent the day sharpening and cleaning our tools. Over the years, we’ve gotten pretty skilled at tool sharpening, but this was the first time we sharpened our spades and shovels too! Shoutout to Sara for the awesome idea.
One of the most exciting parts of the day? Our brand-new Ben Nobleman Park Community Orchard Volunteer T-shirts! They were donated by the Upper Village BIA, and they’re extra special. Not only do they have our orchard logo on the front and “VOLUNTEER” on the back, but they also feature the BIA logo on the sleeve and a QR code. The QR code links to a virtual neighborhood tour packed with history about both our orchard and the community. It’s a fun way for visitors to learn more about where they are.
I (Susan) had the chance to help create this tour with Harley Karulis from Toronto History Walks, who runs amazing city walks loaded with historical facts. We even had a special guest, Nancy Weisbrod, one of the founders of The Village Shul, join us while we recorded the tour. In the tour, we talk about how the Spadina Expressway could have split our community in two and how the park, which now hosts our orchard, would have been demolished to make way for a highway.
On the tour, I also share the history of our orchard, our trees, the pollinator garden, and our harvests. Nancy talks about the local Jewish community’s history, dating back to the 1930s, and the growth of The Village Shul, whose sanctuary wall is made from Jerusalem stone. The tour even includes some tasty stops at local businesses on Eglinton West. You can check it out for yourself with this video 🎥 or experience it interactively with the virtual tour app 🌐.
This year was extra special for me because it’s the first time I wasn’t leading the group as coordinator—I’m now a volunteer just like everyone else. And what an amazing team we have! So, I thought it would be fun to hand out some awards:
- Gail – Best at opening the orchard shed, giving everyone their jobs, managing emails, and working with city staff. 🌟
- Sara – The mastermind behind our amazing shed reno, with assistance from Giselle, Eli, and Rebecca. 🔧
- Rael – For the brilliant idea to get a sponsor for our T-shirts and his top-notch pruning skills. 💡
- Carolyn – Our T-shirt fairy, who handled everything from liaising with the Upper Village BIA to managing the production. 👕
- Annie – For bringing her love and light into the orchard, always working hard and treating us to her homemade olive oil cake! 🍰
- Eleanor – Bug Identification Queen, always helping us figure out which critters are hanging around. 🐛
- Rebecca – For fearlessly digging out cherry suckers (which less determined volunteers might just cut back). 🪓
- Ellie – Our youngest volunteer and future fruit tree pruning genius, once she finishes the course Certificate in Fruit Tree Care. 🌱
- Zeny – Hardworking and dedicated, traveling the furthest to join us every time. 🚗
- Giselle – Our plant fairy, always bringing seedlings for the pollinator garden. 🌸
- Jihane – For her consistent hard work and magical smile. ✨
- Kirtan and Tila – Innovation award for using string to create perfect circles around the trees while edging and for looking super cute in park pictures (see below)📏
- And to everyone else including Reenie, Janina, Olivia, Kali, Deb, Willem and their kids (I hope I didn’t miss anyone?) who pitched in now and then this season—you deserve awards too! For keeping us smiling, sharing great ideas, or lending a helping hand with pruning, spraying, mulching, or weeding when it was needed most. You are all so loved and appreciated! 💚
It was a wonderful season, and we’re so grateful for our connection with the Upper Village BIA and our local businesses who support this community.
In November, we might meet again and squeeze in an impromptu session to mulch the garden with leaves once they’ve fallen. And during the winter, we’re hoping to meet for a “Crafternoon,” from time to time, where we can knit, craft, and catch up—otherwise, we’ll miss each other too much! Then, it’ll be spring before we know it, and we’ll be back at it again.
Here’s to a beautiful year at the orchard, and to many more to come! 🍾 Come and join us! Send an email to growingforgreen (at) orchardpeople.com and we will sign you up!
Susan Poizner is one of the volunteers for The Ben Nobleman Park Community Orchard in Toronto. She is the creator of the fruit tree care education website OrchardPeople.com. Susan is the author of four fruit tree care books including Grow Fruit Trees Fast: A Beginner’s Guide to a Healthy Harvest in Record Time. She is also the host of the Orchard People podcast and an ISA Certified Arborist.