Fruit Works Co-operative

'World Food Day' text next to a photo of Alan and team at an apple juicing event

Fruit Works Co-operative is a social enterprise helping communities in Bradford & Leeds to plant / maintain fruit trees.

We interviewed Alan Thornton, Director, to learn more on this & plans for the newly established Leeds Food Growing Network.

👉 medium.com/globalfoodle...

#WorldFoodDay 👇

We'll be at Shipley Harvest Market this Saturday with a fine selection of 🍏🍎, some of our magnificent trees and make lots of juice for free fun.

Another lovely Apple Day this Sunday, organised by the fantastic Back to Front Harehills group.

At Fruit Works we love Apple Days for their ability to connect people and land, and getting people out into the orchards that are all around us, having fun and meeting each other.

We’re taking bookings now for winter pruning (Dec–Feb) - carried out by our expert, friendly team.

Visit our website to book a slot:

fruitworks.org.uk/pruning

First Apple Day of the season was a roaring success!

Thanks to the amazing @ediblebelleisle.bsky.social for organising the day and all the volunteers who picked and juiced the apples.

Next we'll be at Harehills Park this Sunday (1-3pm) come along!

Come along to the Harehills Orchard Apple Day this Sunday, organised by Back to Front. Check them out!

Juice some local apples and meet your neighbours 🍎
1pm - 3pm

@ Harehills Park Orchard (next to the Bowling Green)

#appleday #harehills #communityorchard #applepressing

We've got a jam-packed October full of Apple Days and markets - come and say hello!

#appleday #applepressing #communityevent #autumn

We are fundraising to support the Battir Women's Association in the occupied West Bank. The funds raised will help meet their needs and keep their incredible work going as they continue to struggle together through this genocide.

Please donate if you can:

chuffed.org/project/1369...

On the 30th we're opening up our tree nursery for the public to visit.
On this day only we will be offering a 20% discount on all our potted fruit trees, which include 🍎🍑🍐🍒, plum and walnut varieties.
And of course, we will be more than happy to show you around.

We'll juicing at the #Bradford Good Food Symposium on 3 November. Maybe see you there? online1.snapsurveys.com/Interview/0b...

That legend of soft fruit Growing, breeding, and frequent picture-posting @stewartwaine.bsky.social has joined BlueSky!

March community orchard in people's own front gardens After searching for community orchard land to no avail, a group plans to plant in people's gardens.

Community orchard in people's own front gardens

#Cambridgeshire #BBCNews

🔗: https://www.bbc.com/news/arti...

Come along to our Understanding Pests & Diseases course on 22nd July!

Tickets available here:

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1299715125...

#pestsanddiseases #fruitgrowing #outdooreducation #permaculture #chemicalfreefruitgrowing

My thoughts on this spring I wanted to write a piece about this spring, the spring of 2025. It has been unusually warm, very dry and not at all windy. I was a little worried but also intrigued. How would the trees fair in su…

My take on this unusual spring. The website is currently going through an overhaul so bare with if there's any issues at all.

Have you got a similar story to us?

thegroundedorchardist.co.uk/2025/07/02/m...

A coast-to-coast Right to Grow for community food growing In this workshop session we'll map how Right To Grow policies can best support community food growing and system change in Northern cities

A workshop tomorrow about the #RighttoGrow www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1353441101...

With dryer Springs does it make sense to plant fruit trees in late Autumn rather than Winter?

@myerscoughcollege.bsky.social and Hillier help water flow further in tree nurseries: www.gov.uk/government/c...

‘New hope’: ash trees rapidly evolving resistance to dieback, study reveals Subtle DNA changes in trees demonstrate Charles Darwin’s natural selection – although human help may be needed

"‘New hope’: ash trees rapidly evolving resistance to dieback, study reveals"

"... new trees have to grow up through the leaf mould where the fungus replicates and the researchers found that about 30% of these were killed by ash dieback, providing a strong driving force for evolution"

Summer courses

Some great gardening advice from @martinlewis.moneysavingexpert.com www..com/shopping/gar...

Currants are a great height for toddlers.

There's a date (Fri 13 Feb) and place (St Mary's Centre, Sheffield) for the next Fruit Moot. Hosted by Sheffield Fruit Trees and @regather.bsky.social. See you there!

Summer pruning in Wortley www.fruitworks.org.uk/courses

We had such a good time teaching scything that we only took a "before" pic.
We've got lots more courses coming up: summer pruning; pests & diseases; pruning trained fruit; what to do with all these apples; apple identification. See www.fruitworks.org.uk/courses

Fruit Harvest Share: Aug-Nov 2025 — Fruit Works Join the Leeds & Bradford harvest share scheme to get delicious, fresh local heritage fruit grown in a traditional orchard with many Yorkshire varieties.

If you love delicious, local, quirky apples then sign up to Orchard Harvest Share scheme: www.fruitworks.org.uk/trees/p/frui....
Collection points in #Roundhay #Kirkstall #Shipley #Garforth #Bradford

Tonnes of Change: Welsh Veg in Schools publish latest report | Sustain With the right planning and with significant investment in infrastructure, around 25% of all veg in schools across Wales could be Welsh organic by 2030.

With the right planning and, significant investment in infrastructure, and an added 3p per school meal, around 25% of all veg in schools across Wales could be Welsh organic by 2030. So say @sustainweb.org www.sustainweb.org/news/apr25-w...

did you know that the @bradfordcouncil.bsky.social Design Guide for new homes and neighbourhoods suggests that one way of meeting the builders biodiversity commitments is to plant a fruit tree www.bradford.gov.uk/planning-and... (p70)

Join us in Leeds! Gain key insights to establish your own community orchard and see real-life projects.
@fruitworkscoop.bsky.social #leeds #leedsevents
urbantreefestival.org/own-community-…

What to do with all these apples? ~ Tues 9 Sept, Kirkstall
The basics of apple identification ~ Wed 17 Sept, Keighley

More details and registration www.fruitworks.org.uk/courses

Summer courses:
How to set up a community orchard ~ Mon 12 May, Woodhouse
Scything ~ Thurs 5 June, Shipley Fields
Summer fruit tree pruning ~ Wed 9 July, Wortley
Understanding fruit tree "pests" & diseases ~ Tues 22 July, Headingley
Pruning trained fruit trees ~ Mon 18 August, Horton

and....