Orchard meadows are unique cultural landscapes and one of the most species-rich habitats for rare animals and plants. But the map of orchards is becoming increasingly fragmented every year. On European Orchard Day, people who are committed to preserving orchards invite everyone to experience the meadows, learn more about the orchard ecosystem and enjoy products made from orchard fruit.
We celebrate all over Europe - always on the last Friday in April and the following weekend.
Our motto of the year:
Experience the orchard meadows and enjoy delicious products made from orchard fruit at a picnic - in a meadow, on a fruit farm, in a press house, in a drinks market and at many other places in your neighbourhood.
Enjoy, play, discover, learn new things: there is a lot to experience at the events on the European Orchard Day - and you are cordially invited.
Simply enter your city or postcode and discover all the events in your area.
Whether you're an association, initiative, company or private individual, whether it's a festival, tasting, family afternoon, information evening or guided tour: Anyone who cultivates a meadow or is committed to the preservation of orchards can enter their event here.
More information for event organisers and our free information pack can be found here.
With their large trees loosely scattered across meadows, pastures and fields, orchards have characterised our landscape for centuries and play a key role in biodiversity. As man-made cultural landscapes, they can only be preserved through continuous care and management. In contrast to many orchards, however, the focus is not on maximising yields, but on growing food with and in the midst of nature. As a result, each of the orchards is also home to up to 5,000 different native animals and plants, including many species that have become rare or endangered.
You can find out more about orchards and the people who protect and preserve them at hochstamm-deutschland.de
We are Hochstamm Deutschland e. V., a non-profit organisation that is committed to the preservation of meadows with a small budget and a lot of passion. Together with ARGE Streuobst Österreich, BirdLife International und UK Orchard Network we organise the the Orchard Day.
You can find out more about us and our work to preserve orchards here.
Orchards are cultivated landscapes. This means that this unique biotope for people, animals and plants can only be preserved if a meadow is cultivated. However, the high amount of time and labour involved is usually offset by the very low prices paid for the high-quality orchard fruit. We want to change that! We advocate the principle of "conservation through utilisation" and appropriate remuneration for fruit from orchards. On the orchard day, you can experience orchard fruit from its most enjoyable side: the landscapes, the nature and the products that help to preserve the valuable orchard meadows.
