Like many young people who have just begun in the orchard, about a year and a half ago the orchard of the Donostian neighborhood of Egia emerged without knowing very well how but wanting to do something. “We were a lot of young enthusiasts in the neighborhood with the garden issue. There were other areas formerly occupied by the Urumea, and seeing that there was room there, we decided to enter and start working slowly on the land.” Ainhoa Gutierrez del Pozo, a colleague of EiTB, told us everything about this small project. The first year has been completed on 21 May this year.

It is said that you learn by practicing

At first, almost nobody knew how to grow the orchard. “It was the first time we sowed the garden for most.” This year, however, they have gradually been learning and improving. In winter, for example, a roof has been built to take advantage of rainwater. Knowing that they don't have water in the orchard, an important breakthrough. “Last year we were transporting 25 liter water bottles by hand.”
Young people organize themselves “freely” and in this time they have tried different formats. In summer, for example, weeks of surveillance were distributed to irrigate the garden, remove weeds and other jobs. In winter, as the work is quieter, they put a day a week to meet. Horticulturists share the harvest with each other.

Harvest of one year

The first anniversary of the district orchard was celebrated on 21 May. They started the day with auzolan. “In the garden we gather about 30 people in the morning to work.” At noon, about 40 young people met to eat. Main ingredients, vegetable garden. “Last year we used the harvest of the orchard to make the neighborhood food of the Porrontxo festivities,” Gutierrez explained. Despite the celebration of the closest, several people who did not know the place made their first
visit to the orchard of the neighborhood of Egia. “If someone wants it is a good opportunity to see that it has room there,” says the orchard mate. To plant, to learn or to continue harvesting.