TAX DEDUCTABLE DONATIONS NOW WELCOME!
Welcome to the new Crossnore Heritage Orchard website. In the last few months the CHOrchard has received a “501 3c” designation and contracted with PayPal to help us! We are happy to give those of you who want to help us take care of our Orchard, the opportunity to make a tax-deductable donation.
Our plans this year are two fold. One – To take care of our historic trees better than ever with of your help! Two – Invite teachers to bring their students for Field Trips to the CHOrchard this fall. Our website / smartphone based system brings local and national apple history along pictures of our historical apples. CHOchard staff members are looking forward to hosting these Field Trip visits.
This new, self-guided educational system experience is available for the general public 7 days a week, daylight to dark! This website is available on most your digital devices. If you the general public, would like to help support this opportunity simply click on the “Donate Now” button in the lower left of this page!
New pages have been added to this website! Find the links to the < Left, or if you are on a phone just click on the “three lines.” See our new Mission Statement, to find more in-depth information on the history of American Heirloom apples.
As you walk through the orchard, locate the trees by their number. These apple tree varieties are 100 to 350 years old. They were grown by our Nation’s “Founding Fathers” and by many our own grandfathers over the years.
How This Started
In 2009 the Crossnore Communities for Children contacted the Avery County Cooperative Extension Center for help establishing a community orchard in the town of Crossnore. Planting historic heirloom apples became the mission. It is designed to be a living museum of the apple history of Crossnore and Avery County. It has become a collection of some of America’s greatest historic apple varieties.
We currently have 28 heirloom apple varieties on 43 trees, most of which are common in Avery County. We estimate they produce 40-100 bushels of apples annually. The apples are free for public collection, hands on education, and the celebration of apple history. These apple trees were planted for a “Community Park” atmosphere. If you are visiting for the first time, stick around and learn more about these historic apple varieties using your smart phone!
The Crossnore Communities for Children, the Avery County Extension Center, and Volunteers continue to cultivate and maintain this orchard. The Town of Crossnore is a great supporter of the Orchard. Click < Acknowledgements < to see all the folks who have made this Orchard possible.
Thanks for visiting this website. Please leave comments and any questions we can help you with. We welcome your thoughts to help us with this “work in progress”. Email us at Crossnoreheritageorchard@gmail.com or call 828-387-0174.
Thank You!
