Autumn report - orchard - Batoș, 2023

At Batoș in the orchard, time seems to stand still, every time we get to this place it is as if we merge with nature, sometimes we enjoy the morning dew, and other times the colorful sunset. Old walnuts await us each time, in different stages of vegetation, sometimes green and sometimes golden, and full of fruit. This year is the first year of conversion to organic agriculture. We are grateful that we received this certification and that we were able to do the cleaning work in the orchard.

When we acquired this land in 2022, there were lots of invasive plants; the land has not been worked on in over 20 years. Nuts were left behind and vegetation took over the entire landscape. In some areas, the vegetation was so thick you couldn’t get through. In the spring of 2023, we carried out massive clearing works which helped balance the ratio and make the land more accessible. Now you can walk quite easily, although, there are a lot of bumps and the access by car is difficult.

After this first year, we were able to make a final evaluation of the area together with Radu Crăciun, a specialist in permaculture. Through this, we determined the development direction of this project.

The purpose of the project

Firstly, this project aims to be an inspiration for other old orchards, a successful project that other people can replicate. To achieve this, it is necessary to document the stages, steps, and actions taken and to plan activities, workshops, and courses to pass on the knowledge and practices acquired.

Project objectives:

1. Economic– to support the project’s development, the Clean Wood Association applied for ecological conversion- Measure 11 – organic agriculture, Sub-measure 11.1 conversion to organic agriculture, Package 3- Orchards1. To obtain financial support from APIA, the Clean Wood Association must comply with the legislation in the field. One of the most important things is the annual clearing of the vegetation on the land while taking the Ecoinspect guide on eco-labeling and all obligations related to organic farming into account.

2. Conservation and biodiversity – preserving the local walnut species in the area. Currently, most orchard owners plant species that bring high productivity and many of them are non-native, some can even be genetically modified to better adapt to the environment. In this context, our project aims to preserve local, authentic species that have been identified in the field. More than that, we want to enrich the landscape with other species of trees, forest trees, and shrubs that support each other. To achieve this objective, it is proposed to set up a FOREST GARDEN area on one side of the land, which will propagate local species of plants, trees, and shrubs.

3. Social – this project aims to involve the local community cooperatively and mostly as inspiration. Owners or users of these orchards could learn from the experience of implementing a walnut orchard rehabilitation project. Clean Wood could produce a best practice guide for converting old orchards into ecological production.

4. Educational – it is desired to create an educational center with ecological workshops regarding the planting, protection, and conservation of local species. For this purpose, in the area of the forest garden, we want to build an outdoor pavilion, a small cabin, a cellar and ecological toilets.

5. Natural habitat – conservation of flora and fauna- to achieve this goal, it is necessary to maintain and enrich a natural habitat suitable for local flora and fauna. For insects and birds, there will be grassy vegetation from all over the land and fruits from the two orchards, the walnut orchard, and the forest garden. For small mammals, the natural fences around the property will be thought of as shelters and sources of food. For amphibians, frogs, and other insects there will be a small natural pond fed with rainwater in the garden-forest area.

6. Production – the main source of production is walnuts, which will be ecologically certified and sustainably harvested, using methods that do not destroy trees. There will also be other fruits and herbs in the forest garden area.