On September 15^th, 2013, after more than a year of planning, Banfield Park became the home of a community orchard, which was designed with feedback from the local residents at every level.  The final step of the project took place on the same day as the Vic West Corn Roast.  After planting the fruit and nut trees, community members were able to celebrate the fulfillment of their project at the Corn Roast, a popular community event featuring live music, good food, and zucchini races.

THE SPARK

Victoria’s Official Community Plan supports the growth of food on both public and private spaces (Palmer 2013). Vic West already encourages this concept through their Community Commons Garden, which produces fruit, vegetables, and herbs.  “The city came to us,” said Jane Baigent, a member of the orchard planning committee (2013). The VicWest Food Security Collective, a project of the Victoria West Community Association, oversaw the orchard proposition (Parkhouse 2013).

Community members also determined the types of trees that would be planted.  Many of the chosen species are common, such as plum, apple, and pear trees, while others such as edible chestnut, fig, and mulberry trees are more unusual. This biodiversity will mitigate the effects of climate change and provide a range of harvest seasons, which makes fruit available to the community for longer periods of time.  Much of the produce will be suitable for immediate consumption, and the rest will be appropriate for foodstuffs such as pies, jams, and baking (Parkhouse et al 2013).  The trees are either semi-dwarf (10-16 feet) or dwarf (8-10 feet) varieties, so that children may easily help harvest the fruit and care for the plants. The trees will also provide habitat for birds and other organisms, as well as attract pollinators.     

Patti Parkhouse, the coordinator for the Banfield Park Community Orchard, then contacted Hatchet & Seed Edible Landscapes to “put together a design and facilitate the logistics of the orchard” (Krawcyz and Goldwynn 2013). The City of Victoria had certain requirements for the orchard, such as grass in the centre to maintain a meadow ecosystem.  The Banfield Park Community Orchard Design Team, with advice from two urban food specialists, produced a proposal in December 2012 which was revised in February (Parkhouse et al 2013).  In March 2013, the Victoria Parks, Recreation & Culture Department approved the creation of two prototype orchards, one in Vic West and one in Fernwood.

In July, the City of Victoria and Hatchet & Seed excavated large trenches for the orchard.  The rest of the site preparation was completed during a daylong community-building event. Under the direction of Hatchet and Seed’s Tayler Krawczyk and Solara Goldwynn, a small army of volunteers filled the trenches with mulch, rotting wood, and soil to form elevated mounds called hugelkulturs, where the trees are planted partway up the mound.  Hugelkulturs improve drainage for the tree roots and also act as sponges to hold excess rainwater as it flows downslope.  The stored water is released during Victoria’s dry summer months (Parkhouse et al 2013). This system was chosen because of Victoria’s climate, and the high water table and silty soil at the park (Krawcyz and Goldwynn 2013). Later, an eight-foot tall fence was built to keep out the deer.  The City provided the metal posts and the community fundraised for the wire fencing.  Local artists created the three welcoming gates.

Groups chose a tree to plant and began digging. The trees were planted and watered with a mixture of mycorrhizal fungi, activated effective microorganisms, and kelp in an extracted format. These provide more nutrients to the trees and help them grow (Krawcyz and Goldwynn 2013)  Small wooden stakes with labels painted by Jane Baigent were inserted by the trees. The volunteer turnout was large and planting accomplished quickly.  Community members carrying tools kept arriving even after everything was accomplished.  Mulch was spread around the trees and then everyone headed over to the Vic West Annual Corn Roast. “Planting Day achieved our goal beyond what the Orchard Team imagined,” said Patti Parkhouse.  “It was wonderful to see so many from the community come together to plant the trees and enjoy the new Place" (Parkhouse 2013).