David Orchard Photo Gallery

Photos from David Orchard's 2005 winter tour. Click thumbnails to enlarge or view winter tour page.

Photos from David Orchard's 2004 fall tour. Click thumbnails to enlarge or view fall tour page.

Orchard farm photos
Click thumbnails to enlarge or view farm album.

               

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Orchard farm, Borden, SK, winter 2006 – Log cabin built with logs cut from trees on the Orchard farm and constructed by David Orchard and log smith Joey Lorer. The cabin stands on the site of the original log cabin homestead built by John Orchard, David Orchard's grandfather. In 1908, John Orchard brought his 17-year-old bride, Lily, to this homestead and their four children, including David Orchard's father, Ralph, were born there. Photo: David Orchard

Rural Reflections, Sunday, August 1, 2004
(Weekend supplement of the North Battleford News-Optimist-Telegraph)
100 years on Orchard farm
by Lorraine Olinyk
Photos also by Lorraine Olinyk

A celebration of 100 years on the John Orchard family farm was held at the farm, home of grandson David Orchard, 12 miles NE of Borden, in the Halcyonia District in July.

About 120 arrived for the afternoon and a supper catered to by the United Church. As David is an organic farmer, much of the meal was organic -- bison burgers, smokies, new potatoes, tossed salad, lemonade and strawberry shortcake with saskatoons and blueberries for dessert.

David thanked everyone for coming and recognized some special guests from British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec, various points in Saskatchewan. He thanked the members of the United Church for the great meal, and all those who helped clean the yard and the barn.

Documents pertaining to the settling of his grandparents in 1904 were on display, and David will be receiving a century plaque shortly. He gave a history of the buildings in the yard, dating from the log cabin constructed in 1905, barn and implement shed built in 1912, loft added in 1937, and the present house in 1918. The barn was restored and painted 10 years ago. Many toured the barn and house and the meal was enjoyed in the lean-to of the barn or in the shade.

David Orchard at work on his farm near Borden, Saskatchewan, checking the quality of his grain crop. One of Saskatchewan’s pioneer organic farmers, David Orchard has successfully farmed chemical-free wheat for over twenty-five years.

photo: Antoinette Martens

David Orchard and Stompin’ Tom Connor in Edmonton, 1998. Stompin’ Tom has been a strong supporter of David Orchard for many years and joined the PC party to back him in the 1998 leadership race. During the 2000 election campaign in Prince Albert, SK, Stompin’ Tom took out ads in the local paper urging people to vote for David Orchard.

The Prince Albert Daily Herald published a letter from Stompin’ Tom which read in part: “I have never before come forward to endorse a political candidate, because to me they’ve almost seemed the same; saying the same things and standing for nothing. But this man is different. He fights for Canada and the little guy every day, whether he’s a candidate or not... If I could vote in Prince Albert I would vote for David Orchard. And if I could be there I would even campaign for him. And the only satisfaction I would hope to gain would be in knowing, first, that I truly did something to better my country and secondly, that I stood up in support of a man I truly admire.”

To read more about Stompin’ Tom, please see his official web site at www.stompintom.com

photo: Tera Orchard

David Orchard visits with Canadian sustainable forestry expert Merv Wilkinson at his 136-acre working forest, Wildwood, near Cedar, Vancouver Island, B.C.

An internationally renowned silvaculture consultant and opponent of clearcutting, Merv Wilkinson has operated a commercial woodlot for over fifty years using sustainable forestry practises. By cutting selectively and applying simple, sound principles of ecoforestry Merv Wilkinson has kept the same volume of trees, as he had when he started and has harvested more timber over the years than was in his forest originally. In 2002 Merv Wilkinson received the Order of Canada in honour of his outstanding achievement in the field of ecoforestry.

Foresters and students from all over the world flock to Merv Wilkinson’s seminars at Wildwood. Photos from some of them can be seen at www.langara.bc.ca/envstudies/es470_merv_wilkinson.htm

photos: Cady Williams

David Orchard in a press conference, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

photo: Antoinette Martens

At the August 2002 PC Party annual general meeting in Edmonton, AB, David Orchard co-chaired the Workshop on Democratic Reform. In this photo he is flanked by PC Party legal counsel, John Scott (left), and New Brunswick MP and PC party environmental critic, John Herron (right).

photo: Marjaleena Repo