Orchards in Neder-Over-Heembeek

Verger Val du Bois des Béguines

Neder-Over-Heembeek is home to several communal orchards. These areas are rich in fruit trees but are currently under-exploited: the trees are pruned for maintenance purposes but the fruit is neither harvested nor promoted. The City, with the support of the Velt non-profit organisation, is offering you the chance to breathe new life into these orchards!

The aim? To turn them into places where everyone can pick, learn and enjoy.

By taking part in the project, you can:

Harvest the fruit
Learn about the ecological management of fruit trees
Help process the harvest (juices, jams, compotes,...)
Build a shared governance model for the management of these orchards
And, above all, meet your neighbours

This project is part of the City of Brussels' commitment to a local and responsible ecological and food transition.

As part of its Climate Plan, which aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, the City wants to make the most of existing cultivated areas, create new production sites and encourage collective projects run by and for local residents.

This project also has the support of 'Brussels Environment', through the External siteGood Food strategy. This aims to develop a local food system that is inclusive, respectful of the environment and in direct contact with local residents.

This project is a collaboration between:

The City of Brussels, via the Climate and City in Transition Service, in collaboration with the Green Spaces Service
External siteVelt, an association with expertise in sustainable ecological gardening, recognised for its work on similar projects such as 'Buurtfruit Gent'
You, the residents of Neder-Over-Heembeek, who will be the key players in the project
Local partners (associations, schools, neighbourhood committees,...) who want to get involved

This project is being carried out with the support of 'Brussels Environment'.

About Velt

External siteVelt supports people who want to adopt a greener lifestyle by gardening and cooking responsibly. The association shares its expertise through publications (books, magazines, website) and organises neighbourhood workshops - on planting, maintenance, harvesting or cooking - to bring residents together around food spaces in the city.

As part of previous projects, such as 'External siteBuurtfruit Gent', Velt has:

organised fruit harvesting and processing, in collaboration with local associations, to prevent food waste.
involved local people in harvesting, processing and using fruit as part of their diet.

This experience has enabled the association to acquire real expertise in supporting collective dynamics around urban orchards, which it will be able to put to good use for the project at NOH.

Whether you're an experienced gardener, a nature lover or simply curious, your participation is invaluable!

You can join the fruit-growing working group and take part in:

practical workshops on pruning, managing and harvesting fruit trees.
picking and processing fruit (juice, compotes, jam,...).
the co-creation of the shared orchard governance model.
maintaining the orchards.
the collective life of the project, sharing ideas, time, energy and good humour.

The project will run for two years (2025-2026), with the aim of eventually making the group self-sufficient. The workshops are free, bilingual (French/Dutch) and open to all, with no pre-requisites.

Register here:

External siteParticipation form orchards in Neder-Over-Heembeek