Plant it, Grow it, Eat it!” is the motto for an enterprising scheme run by Kirklees Council in the Huddersfield area. The scheme involves planting many fruit trees in order to establish community orchards all over the town so they can be maintained and the produce eaten by local people. Mr Stephen Priest, a volunteer who helps to run the scheme, called upon members of the Huddersfield 1st congregation of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when he realised that some trees might not be planted in time for them to flourish.
| Temple Square is always beautiful in the springtime. Gardeners work to prepare the ground for General Conference. © 2012 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. | 1 / 2 |
Mr Priest said that the members helped to “save the day!” and that he was very grateful to have been able to call upon them. Mr Priest already had experience of working with the Huddersfield members of the Church from having previously worked with them on local ‘Helping Hands’ projects and so was well aware of their willingness to work and to get a job done. Some trees had previously been planted in the Fartown and Birkby areas of Huddersfield by the Muslim community from the Ahmadiyya mosque and from The Highfields Centre for people with learning difficulties. With the help of the Huddersfield Mormons additional trees have now been planted in the Dryclough and Dewhurst Road areas also.
Altogether 150 apple, plum and cherry trees have been planted in this latest phase of the scheme but more are in the planning to be added in forthcoming years. This joint volunteer effort is aimed to help all local residents, whatever their language, nationality or cultural background, so they can all enjoy fresh nutritious fruit which they have helped to grow themselves.