The orchards and the time spent there

The traditional orchards in Sibiel make up a very special chapter in the life of the village. This year was the first when we truly spent time among the fruit trees, which sparked my love for orchards and led to my better understanding their importance. I thus became a promoter of this highly valuable heritage; moreover, I want to protect it, so that it continues to exist. 

But why are these orchards so special? First of all, the role of a traditional orchard is twofold: an orchard-grassland or an orchard-hayfield. What this means is that, in summer, hay is dried among the trees so that, in winter, animals can graze freely. Traditional orchards are a type of extensive culture of big tree fruits with large canopies, planted at fair distances from each other. The trees are also impressive due to their lifespan, often reaching over 100 years of age. They require low intensity management and no chemicals are employed. This type of cultivation makes a great contribution to protecting the soil against erosion or landslides and, due to the rich variety of trees cultivated, ensures that the community gets the vitamins they need through this food source. Overall, these are very stable ecosystems, with a landscape and cultural role. The arguments in favour of looking after them are already quite eloquent, but we also add their aesthetic merits (they look wonderful!). Yet, in reality, they are not protected as they should. But we aim to tackle this soon.