"Apples for Schools" Program

Help preserve an important part of the south’s agricultural heritage at your school and provide a “living classroom” for your students.  Apply for an "Apples for Schools" grant. If selected, your school will receive four heirloom apple trees to plant on school grounds.

Applications due March 31, 2023 by 5:00 p.m.

Why Plant an Instructional School Orchard?

In 1900, 93% of the nation’s citizens farmed.  In North Carolina, 87% of its citizens were classified as small farmers.  Today, fewer than 2% of North Carolinians work small family farms. In our increasingly urbanized An apple tree with red apples on the branches and on the ground under the treesociety, agriculture is becoming more distant from our citizens with each passing decade. When asked where food comes from, children usually respond, “from  the  refrigerator” or “from the grocery store.” Bad food choices and junk food, combined with children leading more sedentary lives has led to an explosion of childhood obesity and related illnesses. As Kevin Hauser of Kuffle Creek Apple Nursery said, “Instructional School Gardens/Orchards are a way to combat these unhealthy lifestyle trends and provide good food, exercise, instruction, and entertainment to our kids. They are a way of introducing children to the wonders of the natural world, the healthy eating habits of home-grown produce, and the joy of harvesting the fruits of their own labor. The costs are miniscule, and the benefits last for a lifetime.”

Benefits of a Four-Tree School Orchard:    
  • A small school orchard will require relatively little work, once planted.
  • Four trees do not require a lot of space: 2 semi-dwarf trees per row will be planted 8 – 10 ft apart. Space between rows should be 16 ft.   
  • Trees can produce for 20-30 years.
  • Yields are good when compared to the amount of work that goes into planting, tending, and harvesting.
  • The two main needs for an orchard are water and mulch (the latter will keep weeds down).
  • The heirloom varieties produce from late July to mid-November, enabling a class to have apples for an extended amount of time.
Educational Benefits of a School Orchard:

Raising heirloom apple trees uses STEAM objectives as access points for guiding student inquiry, dialogue, and critical thinking. Here are just a few areas of learning:

  • History: 
    • learn about and actively preserve an important aspect of the state’s agricultural heritage.
    • learn about the origin of apples and how they made it to America.
    • learn about the history of the specific heirloom apple varieties in your orchard.
  • Language Arts:
    • study mythological stories involving apples.
    • learn the vocabulary of apple trees and agriculture.
  • Science
    • see where food comes from.
    • study cross pollination and genetics. 
    • learn about destructive and beneficial insects in the orchard.
    • explore the role pollination plays in crop success.
    • learn what apple trees need to grow and thrive. 
    • explore tree grafting, water conservation, and soil health.
  • Math
    • map the orchard layout and plant the trees.
    • estimate crop yields.
Words of Advice: 
  • It may take several years before the trees produce fruit. Some years’ crops will be bumper crops, while other years may be lighter.
  • Young trees require water to live. This includes having someone commit to watering them throughout the summer.
  • Bees will be attracted to the blooms on the trees.

If you are excited about having your school be on the forefront of saving this aspect of the South’s rich agricultural past, as well as teaching your students a wealth of information, fill out the application linked below and submit to the Horne Creek Farm office.  Applications may be submitted by regular mail, email, or hand delivered. If you choose to mail your application, we encourage you to have your local post office postmark it.

Mailing Address: Horne Creek Farm, 308 Horne Creek Farm Rd., Pinnacle, NC 27043                                                     

Email Address: lisa.turney@ncdcr.gov     

                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

Apples For Schools Application                                                   

Indicates required field
School Address

Do you have enough space to plant a four-tree apple orchard at your school?

If yes, please include a map indicating where it will be located. After submitting this form, please email your map to lisa.turney@ncdcr.gov.

Is there a source of water readily available in that area? 
If yes, please indicate on the map where water source is in relation to the proposed orchard. If no, please indicate how you intend to provide water for the trees.
In addition to fertilizer and mulch, the young trees will require stakes to support them and ensure they grow straight, orchard tie tape to secure the trees to the stakes, chicken wire to form protective rings around them (10 feet per tree), and white paint to paint the base of the trees. Please address each of these needs. Do you have the means to acquire these items? 
Please explain why Horne Creek Living Historical Farm should donate four heirloom apple trees to your school. How would it benefit your school and students? In what creative ways would you use this orchard to further your students’ education?

Horne Creek staff will visit the school to help the students plant the trees in March on a day that works for all. Photos from the event will be used by Horne Creek Farm for media outreach publicizing the grant award. Does the school agree to obtain permission from parents of participating students for Horne Creek Farm to have the right to use their child’s image?
I verify that I am authorized to complete this application on behalf of my school and that I am the person listed as the Teacher Submitting the Application
Date