For many people, the creation of a small home orchard is something they dream of, enjoying the spring blossom, taking advantage of the shade it casts in summer and harvesting the fruits come autumn.

An orchard is also a gift to current and future generations and to a host of wildlife including bees and birds But where to start? If you are lucky enough to have an old orchard that needs rejuvenating, or are thinking about planting your first orchard you might find the inspiration you need to get started by joining an Apple and Orchard day.

At South Yeo Farm West, just outside Okehampton on the fringes of Dartmoor, Debbie Kingsley and her husband Andrew Hubbard have been welcoming those interested in learning about the land and livestock to their farm for their series of highly successful courses for several years.

On their Apple and Orchard day on Saturday 18th October you will learn all about planting and managing your own orchard, and get hands on pressing apples to make juice, cider and vinegar.

If you’re wondering what to plant or how to make the best of what’s already growing on your land, and want to produce your own fruit, juice, jams, chutneys and cider, their one day course will set you on the right path. You will investigate their two-acre orchard considering planting and layout, learn how to protect the trees to allow orchard grazing, look at choosing the appropriate varieties and size of tree, and pruning to maintain vigour. You will learn about milling and pressing apples to make juice, cider and vinegar and can take home some of your freshly pressed juice complete with a recipe to turn it into cider if you wish.

Their orchard is inspiring but not daunting with seventy fruit trees of various ages, from mature standard trees of between 70 and 100 years old, to youngsters planted in 2006. With a bountiful mix of cider, culinary and dessert apples, plums, gages and damsons, medlars, mulberries, pears and cherries, many of the trees are traditional Devon varieties such as the Ice Apple, Quench, Devon Crimson Queen, Oaken Pin, Landkey Yellow gage and Dittisham damson.

If you decide to join the hundreds of past course participants you’ll not only learn a great deal and go home with a huge amount of information, you’ll also leave with a stomach full of fabulous home reared and produced food, and a real sense of what next steps you might take. One of last year’s participants says: “We attended the Apple & Orchard day last year run by Debbie and Andrew. It was really informative and we enjoyed learning about running our own orchard. We had great fun picking and juicing the different varieties of apples and taking our juice home to drink. We have now gone on to plant 200 trees ourselves and are excited to be planting more this year.”

To check out course details and for more information go to www.smallholdertraining.co.uk