The goal of this project was to establish a demonstration orchard with perennial species horticulturally suitable for organic production in Pennsylvania, and provide educational programming on the management practices and ecological benefits of trees in an agricultural landscape. This project created a public-facing and interactive orchard for general visitors to the Institute, as well as provided in-depth training and education for the Rodale Institute Farmer Training and Veteran Farmer Training Programs. Additional education and outreach for Rodale's broader audience was conducted at the Annual Field Day and during online webinars.
The project aimed to address production risk by demonstrating opportunities for enterprise diversification using perennial crops, as well providing education on climate smart perennial agroecosystems and federal risk management programs available for specialty crop producers.
The project team was able to meaningfully and regularly interact with 2 cohorts of the Rodale Institute Farmer Training and Veteran Farmer Training Programs. The educational programming provided to these two groups was over 15 hours each year, in addition to regular hands on experiential learning opportunities. The team also provided broader educational opportunities to the public through webinars and field days. A 2023 webinar given by the project team has over 450 views on Youtube, while the webinar presented in late August already has over 100. Each Field Day had over 400 participants, and the number of other visitors throughout the year who tour the Institute and see the demonstration orchard is in the thousands. The positive feedback from the demonstration orchard establishment has been a catalyst for new agroforestry and perennial systems projects across the Institute. Additionally, this project will continue to educate students, the public, and other stakeholders as the orchard matures and begins producing fruits and nuts.