About - Orchards Near Me

A letter from Lisa

Orchardsnearme.com was founded after a long walk in the woods one Sunday afternoon. I truly believe that getting back to nature is important for the soul. I love finding and picking wild foods, so I put two and two together to connect food and adventure lovers from around the world.

The dream was to connect people from around the world with farms that needed help at harvest times.

Surprisingly, it turned out that people weren’t all that interested in holding my hand while they explored. Everyone wanted to do their own thing and learn about the wild plants around them. It is amazing meeting fellow foragers, wild food enthusiasts and explorers.

Initially my passion for foraging might have been clouded by my judgement of how Orchards Near Me was really doing but after awhile I think people got into the u-pick frame of mind and jumped on the picking band wagon.

Now we are focused on expansion and helping orchards around the world, but always keeping customer experience at the core of what we do.

We are building a team of adventurous, wild food lovers from around the world. These unique experiences connect us with nature, encourage learning and change perspectives. I’m so proud to get this idea off the ground and into the hands of the pickers.

I love to learn from fellow foragers and here feedback about our adventures, so don’t hesitate to contact me directly if you have any queries or would like a chat about your foodie adventures.

Happy Picking,

Lisa

About Us

Our mission is to encourage a love for local food production, including orchards, vineyards and wild food. By helping to grow the awareness of wild food, seasonal food and locally sourced foods we want to help the world to think of a sustainable food future. Our motto is “Go to grow”. Visit the orchards, taste the produce and enjoy food filled adventures. Let’s create a sustainable, fun and adventurous future together.

Over the past 10 years we have foraged wild plants, gathered fruit and berries, and connected with rural farms and orchards throughout Europe and the world.

WHAT SETS US APART?

Like you, we are life long learners. A team of active food and foraging enthusiasts from different parts of Europe, we enjoy working with local farm owners, learning from the land, and trying delicious produce along the way.

SHARING OUR WILD FOOD JOURNEY
We love to experiment with wild foods, discover the many ways to connect with nature and share our knowledge of the landscapes around us.

FOOD FILLED EXPERIENCES
Carefully crafted to ensure you make the most of your time outdoors, we deliver engaging food related experiences so that you can enjoy getting to know the landscape.

ORCHARD PARTNERS
We partner with like-minded and trusted individuals and companies. With in depth knowledge and direct experience, our tours are authentic and homemade.

Our Tours

Get back to nature with our tailor-made food and foraging tours.

We are a small team who share a sense of adventure and a love of the outdoors. Between us, we have traveled around the world, foraged for wild food, and worked on farms and in gardens. Together we have put together a series of fruit picking and foraging experiences for you to enjoy.

We hope to encourage people from all over the world to step out beyond cities, and to learn about rural areas of Europe and the local and traditional produce of these regions. Accommodation, luggage transfer and planned routes can be arranged for you, to take the pressure off.

Foraging for wild food is the ultimate way to get to know a country’s cuisine and learn more about food production. We arrange day tours or more immersive, long-term stays.

The team at Orchards near me thrive on all forms of nature. In close collaboration with our customers, partners and suppliers, we make food adventures happen.

Our Team

Chief Picker, Lisa

Spending her childhood picking shellfish on the west coast of Ireland and mushroom hunting with her grandfather, Lisa is a lover of all things outdoors. She truly believes that nature is food for the soul and her enthusiasm for wild plants is contagious.

Food and Flavour Expert, Emily

Emily has spent seasons abroad, planting, tending and harvesting exotic crops like almonds, figs and quinoa. She is now more focused on what’s available locally, and enjoys discovering the tricks to growing and foraging in Ireland.

Mushroom Forager, Conor

A tenor by night, Conor is our singing forager. He loves nothing more than being lost in the nearby woodlands and will amaze you with his knowledge of all aspects of outdoor living.

Fruit and Flavour Expert, Mario

A quiet, confident vinho verde drinker. Mario is a passionate food enthusiast and chef. He grew up on an olive farm in Portugal and traditional cuisine is a part of his culture.

The Forager – A Newsletter for Wild Food & Nature Lovers

In our weekly newsletter we share recipes, foraging tips, short stories about our adventures and inspiration we pluck from nature around us. Your support for the words expressed in this publication means the world.