Sustainable Cupar’s Fruit and Blossom Group (FAB) promotes the traditions and practices of fruit growing in the area by maintaining and enhancing the remnants of Cupar’s old orchards along the River Eden, restoring hedgerows and removing invasive plants along the river. FAB organises workshops on all aspects of fruit growing, including pruning and grafting, supporting community tree planting of native and heritage varieties, working closely with local groups from children’s nurseries to care homes to support food production as well as health and wellbeing, and improving habitat in woodland around Cupar, making and installing birdboxes.
FAB’s contribution is both to the environment in and around Cupar, promoting native plantings of wildflowers, hedges, native trees and fruit trees as appropriate, as well as to the communities of Cupar, drawing membership from individuals and families who live in the area and providing open workshops, planting and harvesting events and other events which are accessible to everyone, and growing fruit and vegetables which can be harvested by all as well as contributing fresh, high quality produce to the local Foodbank.
FAB has made a particular difference along the River Eden which flows through the centre of Cupar, maintaining the water course, reducing invasive weeds such as Himalayan Balsam, planting fruit trees, native trees and wild flowers, and rejuvenating the remnants of the old orchard.
This combination of increasing skills, knowledge and access amongst local residents as well as the planting of native plants and trees has brought about an integrated, dynamic and sustainable community interest in sowing, growing, supporting and harvesting across generations in ways which are accessible to everyone.
