From backyard to orchard

Do you have some extra room in your back yard? What about in the front yard? If you like fresh fruit, nuts, shade and birds, a home orchard may be for you.

Environmental and Conservation Organization (ECO) wants everyone to make fruit trees a long-term investment. ECO encourages homeowners to avoid the stock market and create a community food market instead.

“One of the most economically sound and environmentally safe ways to protect our family and our community is through developing orchards that can survive for 150 or more years, produce 150-300 pounds of fruit a year when its mature, offering thousands of dollars in dividends with a small initial investment,” says Chuck Marsh, founder of Useful Plants Nursery.

Marsh will present a workshop about backyard orchards on March 6 in ECO’s conference room in downtown Hendersonville. The presentation will cover organic fruit production, disease resistance and pruning.

If you’re eager to get started or expand your existing orchard, workshop participants can order fruit and nut trees to be picked up immediately after the presentation.

Preregistration is required for the workshop, which will be held Tuesday, March 6, starting at 6:30 p.m. ECO is located at 121 Third Ave. West, Ste No. 4, Hendersonville. $15.

Photo by Bill Rhodes

 

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