Meet The Producers - Brogdale Collection.
Last week we introduced our good friends at the Brogdale Fruit Collection, and how to contribute to the wonderful work they do by purchasing some heritage fruit. We thought we’d expand a little bit on what the charity do, and why we jumped at the chance to get on board and help out.
The national fruit collection is held at the site in Brogdale and they provide education and access about the history and heritage of fruit in this country. Set in over 150 acres of farmland, they have over 4000 varieties of fruit trees ranging from apples, pears, quinces and plums to cherries and more. This is a living history of fruit in this country.
The charity took over the Brogdale site in 2020, when 8 hectares of mixed fruit orchards were due to be destroyed. The loss of this rare and heritage varieties would have been a substantial loss to the charity as they rely on the availability and variety of fruit to fulfil their education objectives. These hectares were then merged with the National Fruit Collection.
Education is key a Brogdale, offering some of the best horticultural and rural courses run by experts from all over the South East of England. They have a huge selection of half or whole day courses covering everything from cider making to foraging and bee keeping.
They also are keenly engaged in running fantastic half term programs for kids and modulde days carefully tailored to the Key Stage 1 & 2 curriculum. Impressing and in equal measure scaring with their Mega Bugs collection, full of all manner of creepy crawlys. Along with the wildlife and sound gardens, a weather station, there is plenty to be getting on with!
The reason we were so exited to get on board with Brogdale Collections is because a lot of the fruit from these trees unfortunately doesn’t have a home and would have to be left to drop and rot. So purchasing these rare and wonderful fruit, you not only stop fruit from going to waste but you help allow to charity to keep up with the extensive maintenance costs such a collection inevitably creates.
Brogdale rely sole support from local companies, and people. The fruit we sell being picked and packed for us by a gang of brilliant volunteers. By buying this fruit you not only get wonderful produce, you also support a brilliant charity. Win, win!
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