We have rounded past the summer solstice and into the long middle of the orchard year. The planting days are behind us and harvest is still ahead. Right now, stewards across the network are doing the work in between.

Notably, we are wrapping up peach thinning. A peach tree in a good year sets far more fruit than it can ripen; left alone, a branch will either snap under the load or produce hundreds of small peaches that are mostly pit. So you walk the row and pull off most of what's there, leaving one fruitlet every four to six inches. What stays has room to become something worth eating.

This is one of dozens of tasks that move through the calendar in a rhythm: dormant pruning in late winter, spraying in spring. Thinning now to harvest later with so many little tasks in between. Most of them are not complicated, but they need someone to do them, at the right moment, for the right reasons.

The stewards who have been with us for a few seasons have grown tremendously in their skills since they started. They’re more settled in the orchard, less rattled by the unusual or surprising. They have been through a few full cycles now, and the calendar has started to feel like their own. The evolution of our stewards is what we at the Common Orchard Project are proudest of, and like all good things, it takes time to develop. We focus our attention on a handful of stewards who are dedicated to a handful of orchards, to make sure that handful of fruit finds its way to the people who need it most.

This year we committed to going deeper into the existing orchard network, not just adding new sites. So far in 2026, we have completed 35 site visits across the Greater Cincinnati region. Each visit means pruning, mulching, staking, troubleshooting pest pressure, and having real conversations with stewards about what is working and what is not.

We have been documenting these visits and sharing field notes each week on our social media pages. If you want to watch the work in real time, that is where to find us. Follow along on Instagram and Facebook.

This spring, we sold out of bulk compost from Camp Washington Perennial Farm faster than we could responsibly produce it. The compost is ready when it is ready; we’re not going to rush production and impact quality. We have since restocked, and bulk compost is available again now. If you missed the first round, this is your window.

Urban Artifact, Cincinnati's wild-fermentation brewery, has become the sponsor of the Mount Airy Cure Orchard. If you know Urban Artifact's commitment to local fruit culture and fermentation craft, the fit will make immediate sense. We are grateful for their partnership and glad to have them as part of the network. 

If you are interested in sponsoring an orchard, reach out to our Director of Engagement & Strategic Partnerships, Charlie Gonzalez, at charlie@greenumbrella.org.

The orchard at Church of the Advent was planted in 2022. In the years since, the space around it has become something the original planting plan couldn't have predicted: a free fridge, a community pantry, Goosefoot Cook and Grow, a whole web of garden partners grown up around a half-dozen fruit trees in the middle of Cincinnati.

We stopped by this spring and walked the property with orchard stewards Megan and Anna. The trees are going strong, getting bigger every year. Some have died along the way but that’s part of the reality of perennial planting. What matters is who is there now and what they are ready to do next.

Large trees came down on the north side of the property recently, opening space that didn't exist before. This fall we are planning a full planting along that stretch – chestnuts, pawpaws, pears, elderberry, blackberry, and bush cherry along a curve near the pathway. There is water on site and an expanding steward team.

Life moves, people relocate, and some of our orchards have lost their primary stewards in the past year. These are real sites with trees already in the ground – healthy orchards that just need someone to join in. 

If you’ve ever thought about becoming a steward, this is an easy, practical moment to step in. One thing we have learned running 41+ orchards: a single steward is a fragile system. Two or three people sharing the responsibility makes the whole thing more sustainable and, honestly, more fun. If you have a neighbor or a friend who has been wanting to grow food in their community, invite them to do it with you.

Message us and learn more to sign up at commonorchard.com. We’ll find a time to meet you on site and get you connected with everything you need.

Peaches are not long-lived in our area. They can succumb to fungal pressure, they have a few specific pests to watch for (peach tree borer chief among them) and they need varieties selected for resistance to peach leaf curl and the other fungal diseases that our wet springs bring. Redhaven, Contender, Intrepid, and several newer releases are the go-to choices for good reason.

What peaches give back is speed. They are the fastest-growing tree we regularly plant, and most will give you fruit in just two to three years. The biggest mistake we see is skipping the thinning. A loaded branch will break, and a whole season's growth goes with it. Pruning is the other learning curve: peaches want an open vase shape, which means topping a young tree at hip height. It feels wrong the first time. A five-year-old tree that got that cut will show you why it was right. All said, a fresh peach, picked at peak ripeness is like nothing you will find at the store.

Reply to this email to reach Chris directly at chris@greenumbrella.org. For questions about membership, email membership@greenumbrella.org.

Ready to get your hands dirty? Sign up for volunteer opportunities at commonorchard.com. Want to support our work? Ask about orchard sponsorships, compost purchases, or how to host an orchard site at your location.

Sustainer Sponsor

Leader Sponsor

Interested in sponsoring the Common Orchard Project? Email Director of Engagement and Strategic Partnerships Charlie Gonzalez at charlie@greenumbrella.org.