Our Orchard

The Orchard at the Farm Park was constructed in 2019, thanks to a group of volunteers who led the planting of forty-eight individual trees of different varieties best suited for the unique alpine growing climate of the San Luis Valley. The orchard space also contains one of two on-site honeybee colonies and a small mobile chicken coop, which used to house a few farm ducks. Volunteers and Farm Park staff manage the orchard — which involves watering, pruning, and weed control.

Apples,

Pears,

Cherries,

Berries,

Nuts,

Flowers,

Apples, Pears, Cherries, Berries, Nuts, Flowers,

What Are Some of the Varieties of Trees and Bushes We Have in the RGFP Orchard?

  • Hazelnut

  • Lilac Bush

  • Maiden’s Blush Apple

  • Nanking Cherry

  • Staceyville Pear

  • Summer Sweet Apple

  • Summercrisp Pear

  • Strawberry Bush

  • Connel Red Apple

  • Semi Dwarf Sweet Sixteen Apple

  • Red Lake and Crandall Currants 

  • Deacon Jones Apple

  • American Elderberry

  • Caragana

  • Goji Berry

  • Raspberry Bush

strawberries
goji berries
nanking cherries
saskatoon service berries
apple
raspberries

Farm Park Orchard Honeybees

Bees play an important role in pollinating plants, including many food crops, which allows for efficient plant reproduction and guarantees biodiversity of local ecosystems. They also act as a great educational tool to teach youth and the public about pollinators.

Our bees are cared for by staff members. Guest teachers have hosted past Farm Park workshops about bee care and queen bee identification. In the future, we hope to begin harvesting honey for community use and educational purposes.

We practice natural beekeeping, meaning that our bee care practices prioritize the health of the hives over honey production. To keep the park’s hives happy and busy in the summer, we have various bee-attracting native plants around the property, such as yarrow, Common Sunflower, rabbitbrush, and Rocky Mountain Bee Plant in addition to our many annuals. In the fall, we prepare the bees for winter hibernation by placing protection over the hive. By springtime, they are active again and buzz around the park to pollinate all summer long.

If you are interested in becoming an orchard volunteer (includes tree watering & pruning and/or beekeeping) or if you want to lead a workshop specific to the orchard, please contact our Farm Park Director, Dan Perez, at dan@riograndefarmpark.org.