Welcome to the Ben Nobleman Park Community Orchard Website. Here you can follow our blog to find out what we’re up to in Toronto’s first community orchard in a public park. Our website will also answer many of your questions about starting your own home or community orchard in our Orchards 101 page.
This initiative has been spearheaded by the volunteers of the Ben Nobleman Park Community Orchard. All the work in the orchard is done by volunteers, including irrigation, mulching, pruning, and harvesting and cleaning the orchard. Volunteers also write and maintain this this website and plan community and park activities and events.
On June 4, 2009, we planted our little orchard in Ben Nobleman Park, an underused green space just across from Eglinton West Subway station in Toronto. We have 14 fruit trees including 5 apples, 3 plums, 3 apricots and 3 sweet cherries. Each year we harvest the trees and the volunteers enjoy the fruit and share it with the community.
Our orchard park has become a place for the community to volunteer and socialize. We have blossom and harvest festivals, pruning workshops, orchard picnics, apple tastings, children’s educational workshops and other community events.
If you’d like to join our mailing list to find out about volunteering opportunities and other updates about the orchard, please send us an email. Our email address is growingforgreen (at) gmail.com.
For more detailed information about the orchard, click on the links below:
Why was Ben Nobleman Park chosen?
How was the community orchard designed?
What types of fruit have been planted in the orchard so far?
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