An Apple Day celebrating autumn’s bounty and raising awareness of a village orchard is taking place in Balfron this weekend.
Visitors will be able to take part in apple pressing, adopt a tree and put their culinary skills to the test in an apple baking contest.
Organised by Balfron Community Orchard volunteers, the Apple Day will also provide information on pruning, biodiversity, and highlight the impact of climate change on the green space situated near Weaver’s Winnel.
The community event on Saturday, October 19, from 11am-3pm, comes two days before National Apple Day on Monday, October 21, which celebrates the wide range of apple varieties and their heritage.
Visitors to the orchard are asked to bring their own apples for pressing, and containers to take their juice home. A small donation of £1 upwards will allow people to adopt one of the 60-plus apple, pear, cherry and plum trees on the site. Amateur bakers are being urged to rustle up their best apple-inspired cakes and pies for a baking contest and there will also be apple identification for anyone struggling to name a particular variety. Just bring along two examples of fruit with the stalk still attached.
The orchard was planted by Stirling Council between 2013 and 2015 and was initially cared for by a group of neighbours for community good. The fruits can now be found donated to Balfron’s Phone Box Food Exchange which helps reduce food waste.
The small group of volunteers are looking for more villagers to join them in caring for the orchard and increasing its fruit production.