In the orchard we grow apples, plums and blackcurrants. One of our biggest challenges farming where we are in Northumberland is the wind. So we’ve had to put in lots of wind breaks to protect the plants, and really we need more.
We have bees on the farm too, so they help pollinate the plants as well as making honey. And the ducks and geese graze the orchard, helping to keep the weeds and grass down. Everything on the farm has a job to do.
The opportunity to own our own land was the main reason we moved here, and it allows us to make longer term investments in windbreaks and apple trees because we’ll still be around to get the benefit. So we can plant a tree and know that in 20 years’ time we’ll still be collecting fruit from it. That’s something for future generations too. We can be confident that, if they want to, our kids could take over the farm and the box scheme. And so the cycle will continue.