by Leanne
As the cold rain and high winds of winter bombard the California Shelter, I can’t help but anticipate the spring and all the warmth and green growing things it will bring with it. In particular, I think about an amazing project we started in the fall that’s sure to begin reaping great rewards for the animals when the sun is finally shining again.
Last November we had the distinct pleasure of working with the Fruit Tree Planting Foundation to plant nearly 50 fruit trees on the shelter. The process of picking which trees to plant and the locations to plant them in to ensure they would receive plenty of water took several weeks, but to my surprise the actual planting only took three hours! Being a novice gardener I was a little overwhelmed by the thought of planting so many trees by hand, especially knowing how hard our soil is. We did cheat though by digging as many holes with our tractor as we could, but not every area was easily accessible.
After soaking the ground overnight, our numerous work party volunteers, many long time supporters of Farm Sanctuary, went to work and dug up the soil like it was vegan butter. Rico, the foundation’s arborist, gave everyone a tutorial at the beginning of the day on the finer points of tree planting – including, ensuring holes are the proper depth and building rings around the trees to catch water – and oversaw the planting of each individual tree to ensure its success. Several trees, such as those in the pigs’ pasture, needed protective fencing to prevent the animals from knocking them over, which doesn’t bother the animals at all since the fencing makes a great scratching post.
A variety of fruits are now planted happily in their new home, including apples, persimmons, cherries, and pears that will provide the animals, staff, volunteers, and guests with some tasty treats. Along with the food, the trees will also provide the animals with some much-needed shade in the summer. One of the neatest areas of planting was done next to the visitor cabin on an empty, flat stretch of land. Twelve fruit trees were planted to create a mini orchard that will be easily accessible to guests to gather fruit from or have a picnic within. Although the trees are still small and spindly, by next year, they will be large and fruitful, providing valuable resources to the animals and farm. For this, we send our gratitude to Rico and everyone at the Fruit Tree Planting Foundation!
See a slideshow of the tree-planting below. All photos by the incredible Connie Pugh.
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