Leaving a nourishing legacy

For thirty years I was the ringleader of a community circus and over recent months the Rye Community Orchards project has felt strikingly similar. In January and February we created three separate two day performances where local bare fields and greens were magically transformed into top class new ecosystems using the best in community orchard permaculture.

Consistent with all good circus shows, preparations began long ago after a community visionary meditated with the friend of a tree loving philanthropist and was then introduced to Brighton Permaculture Trust, experts in the development of community orchards. Talks with councillors and community leaders were followed by site visits, the granting of location permissions then community engagement. It was the same process my community circus utilised. Like all big events the grand finale here in Rye came with the stars performing on stage, the audience applauding, photographs taken and ITV Meridian producing a feature story.

If you look and count, you’ll find twenty-one fruit trees at Tilling Green, thirty at the Mill Salts just behind Tillingham Avenue and forty more at the site on Rye Town Salts previously occupied by Messrs Pitch and Putt. The award winning stars of Rye’s Community Orchards are carefully selected members of the regeneration arts and feature ensembles of Apples, Pears, Plums and Gages along with solos and duets by Peach, Cherry, Apricot and Mulberry. Topping the bill is a world renowned Walnut tree!

Physical reality and logistics are critical to the success of community orchards just as they are with any circus. A surprising number of props were needed to present each orchard show plus technical equipment and tools of the trade. Fire torches, juggling balls, unicycles and trapeze are just a different version of forks, spades, wheelbarrows and deer fencing. Just like the circus everything needed to be ready and in place the moment the curtain went up and that involved a lot of heavy lifting and transportation. Preparation is the key to success.

Much appreciation goes to the experts at Brighton Permaculture Trust for their technical assistance and support with finances and legalities, to the Community Compost Solutions transport team for creating all the compost required and getting all the gear to the gig and to the many residents and local councils who believed in the vision. Most of all thanks go to over forty volunteers who gave their time and energy to provide essential backstage support on the six show days. These troopers went above and beyond suffering wild wet weather, mud slides and bitter cold – reminiscent of the Circus Field at Glastonbury in 1999. Their tenacity in the face of severely adverse conditions was testimony to their belief in the mission and their love of planting trees – as we say in the circus “The show must go on!”

And it did – leaving a nourishing legacy for future Rye generations.

Image Credits: Dena Smith Ellis and Robbie Smoot .