Every farm used to have its own orchard . Over the past centuries new local fruit varieties were developed : apples , pears, cherries , sour cherries and plums with special features such as a special taste, odor, good storability and resistance to pests and diseases. That old fruit varieties have very special names such as Keuleman, President of Dievoet, Veurne Renet, etc.

Unfortunately these orchards could not compete with the more productive and easier to harvest low strains. From the sixties orchards were massively cleared. The beautiful blossoms of the trees disappeared from the landscape and with them a lot of useful animals. It looked as if the heritage of our fruit trees, the result of years of experience and knowledge of our producers, slowly but surely would disappear. Several regional landscape organisations and the National Orchard Foundation turned the tide.