The potential for marketing produce from local orchards ...
This website has been established as part of a research project undertaken by Richard Borrie and Barry Potter which assessed the feasibility of establishing supply chains for marketing produce from local orchards.
The Government funded Countryside Stewardship Scheme encourages land managers, in practice mostly farmers, to restore and maintain traditional features of the countryside for wildlife conservation and the enjoyment of the public. One of the features for which restoration funding is available is traditional orchards and, as restoration begins to take effect, these will start to produce crops which have a market potential.
Between September 2004 and April 2005 we undertook a research project under the DEFRA Rural Enterprise Scheme which looked at:
- Quantifying the market for local orchard fruit sales in the Yorkshire and Humberside region of the UK
- Defining sales models which could be used to bring buyers and sellers together
- Identifying national and local initiatives that may support this activity
