OAKFIELD Apple Core Club enjoyed talking to Jack Killah from BBC Somerset about their Fruitfull Project activities and their exciting plans for Frome Apple Day.
The event will be held at Oakfield Academy on Sunday 10th November in association with Sustainable Frome and Frome Apple Group.
Pupils were asked about the local and rare varieties of apple they had chosen for Oakfield including: The Court of Wick, Christmas Pippin and the Winter Banana. They also described the Discovery Orchard design, which includes 34 trees based on the shape of a Somerset Wyvern. The club also talked about the skills they have learned such as planting and grafting.
Barbra Lakin talked about the national initiative called Fruitfull, which is managed by Learning Through Landscapes, which aims to re-introduce rare and local varieties of fruit back into communities. While also teaching children about horticulture, tree management, apple heritage and apple traditions. Barbra collected the Oakfield apple varieties, for pupils to graft, from St Louis First School, the Somerset Rural Life Museum and the Chalice Well Garden, Glastonbury.
Tash Child, Fruitfull organiser at the academy, also took part in the interview, explaining how the project has provided a special opportunity to link and donate apple trees to local First schools, Mells, Norton St Philip and Trinity as well as Frome College and Critchill Special School. One of the many highlights of the project, which over 80 Oakfield pupils have taken part in, has been to produce their own variety of apple! Pupils named their special variety, the St Louis Mystery. More information is available from www.oakfieldacade my.co.uk/projects.
Oakfield wishes to thank Frome Apple Group, Future Forests and the Somerset Wildlife Trust for their support. A special thank you is also extended to Barbra Lakin from Fruitfull, for all her hard work over the last four years. Oakfield acknowledges that the project has provided a wonderful addition to the school environment and anticipates that there will be many more learning opportunities in future, from having the Discovery Orchard at the academy.
Please donate any extra apples you may have to Oakfield Academy before 7th November, so pupils can make apple goodies, to sell, press and give away to Frome YMCA at Apple Day. Please contact the academy if you have a fruiting tree and would like them to collect: 01373 462539.
Apple Core club will be at Apple Day playing apple games, welcoming their partner schools, enjoying live music, using their bicycle electricity generator to make apple smoothies, pressing apples, meeting apple experts, presenting their orchard project work and taking part in special orchard tours. There will also be local produce and craft stalls and Fairtrade refreshments.
If you would like to run a stall at Apple Day and/or the Oakfield Christmas Fayre on 30th November please contact the school on 01373 462539. The academy looks forward to welcoming you!
