OUR ORCHARD
Local Manitoba Fruit that Fits Your Life
Willow & Plum Orchard is located 15 kilometers east of Winnipeg on Treaty 1 Territory.
Willow & Plum Orchard
Our shared passion for trees, love of fruit and desire to farm quickly took us in the direction of growing an orchard. Our experience as agriculture interns, gave us insight into regenerative agriculture and permaculture. Lots of research and dreaming later, we discovered that in our cold Manitoba climate we can grow more than 20 different varieties of fruit, nuts and berries!
The first block of our micro orchard was planted in spring of 2021 and 2022. Our apple, pear and plum trees are still babies. The fruiting shrubs (haskaps, raspberry, gooseberry and currants) have started giving us small harvests. We are working hard to bring you all the abundance that Manitoba has to offer.
WHAT WE GROW
Our orchard is young. Many of the varieties listed below have not yet reached full fruit bearing age.
Tree Fruit - Apple, Pear, Plum
Shrub Fruit - Currant, Gooseberry, Haskap, Saskatoon Berry, Sour Cherry
Other Fruit - Raspberry, Strawberry, Grape, Rhubarb
Jelly Fruit - Chokecherry, Elderberry, Goji, Highbush Cranberry, Sea Buckthorn
Summer 2023 availability: Strawberries, Raspberries, Apples, Rhubarb, Red Currants, Haskaps
What is a permaculture orchard?
A permaculture orchard is designed with principles of diversity, multiple layers of vegetation and with plants that provide ecosystem services. This approach mimics natural ecosystems in the wild.
We have leaned heavily on Stephan Sobkowiak’s work (The Permaculture Orchard: Beyond Organic, 2014). Our orchard was designed with the trio or N.A.P method. N.A.P stands for nitrogen/apple/pear or plum. Planting in this alternating tree pattern means less disease and pests pass through as it would if the same species were planted side by side.
To create the diversity and layers of vegetation that mimic our boreal forests, we grow trees, shrubs and herbaceous plant together. Every plant and tree is carefully selected to support the whole system and support our native biodiversity such as native bees, birds and the soil food web.
We, by no means, claim to be experts of permaculture; however, we do recognize good agricultural practices when we see it.
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