Urban Orchards

This fall, there was someone at our Glenwood Farmer's Market doing surveys about starting an urban orchard in Rogers Park. I didn't catch the name of the group he was with, but I'm really interested in this idea. Googling didn't turn up much info. Does anyone have any info on urban orcharding on the north side?

Kilbourn Park and Organic Greenhouse planted a dozen or so assorted fruit trees 2 years ago as a community orchard. I think it was sponsored by some vodka company or other. Anyway, many of the trees did not survive. I didn't see any fruit on them this year, but this is Chicago, so wait until next year!

Jen

There is one planned for Logan Square - http://www.chicagorarities.org.

I really like the concept of the idea, but this might not be the best location for an orchard (the orchard will be fenced off from the public and will take at least 7 years to begin producing fruit). I have friends who've grown orchards and it takes A LOT of space (by urban standards) and a fair amount of care to get a decent amount of fruit. True orchards are a very different beast than community gardens.

Boston has a successful program that has been running for over 10 years.

I came across the one in Logan Square too. I don't understand why they're planning on using standard-sized trees that take that long to bear - a semi-dwarf or dwarf tree would bear in a few years. Columnars would bear in a single season I think...

kitchensqueen wrote: I don't understand why they're planning on using standard-sized trees that take that long to bear - a semi-dwarf or dwarf tree would bear in a few years. Columnars would bear in a single season I think...

Yeah, I agree. Apparently one of the main motivations driving them is that they're trying to preserve varieties of fruit that are in danger of disappearing (hence the "Chicago Rarities" project name). I believe most of the varieties they are planning to grow are from Central Asia and haven't been grown in this area before. I don't think anyone has any real numbers on what the yield will be from each tree either.