Programs
Montezuma Orchard Restoration Project (MORP) seeks to accomplish its vision of southwestern Colorado being renowned for an orchard culture and economy based on the legendary quality and diversity of Montezuma Valley Fruits through three main program areas:
- Preservation: Work focused on conserving historic apples and preserving historic trees and orchards through documentation and collection management.
- Education and Outreach: Activities that include orchard and grafting workshops, orchard establishment in schools and communities, and historic research.
- Cultural and Economic Revitalization: Efforts such as orchard restoration and harvest, mobile juicing services, and apple tree sales and donations.
Through these programs and direct engagement with knowledgeable individuals, a renewed interest in heritage orchards is again taking hold, both locally and throughout Colorado.
MILESTONES
Since its establishment, MORP has made remarkable progress toward its mission to preserve Colorado’s fruit- growing heritage and restore an orchard culture and economy to the southwestern region.
- 6K historic fruit trees located and surveyed at RegisTREE.
- 200+ heritage apple cultivars identified & preserved.
- 2K+ rare & endangered apple trees planted in school, community, research, & conservation orchards.
- 8K+ bushels of fruit (apples, pears, cherries, peaches) turned into 102+K liters of Pure & Local juice.
- 10K+ apple trees grafted for sale or donation to the public.
- 2 historic orchard sites saved for future generations.
- 1M+ dollars raised & invested to rebuild the critical land & infrastructure needed to store & process the region’s previously wasted heritage fruit into a value-added juice product.
- 3K+ students taught lessons on Colorado’s fruit growing history & how to graft.
Learn more about our work and vision by reading our strategic plan.