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In 2011, at the initiative of Sándor Fülöp, the Parliamentary Commissioner for Future Generations, the chief pastors of the Lutheran, Catholic, and Reformed churches, along with the Ministry of Agriculture, gene conservation and scientific institutions, and the Pomologist Network of the Carpathian Basin , expressed their support for this program. Within the framework of this initiative, the cooperating parties exchange propagating material from gene conservation variety collections (gene banks, national parks, municipal and private collections) and plant them in clergy gardens and designated areas for cultivation. The cooperation of community institutions ensures the registration, security, and utilization of genetic resources, which are housed in historical church properties (parish houses, rectories, and clergy gardens), the gardens of municipal and denominational schools, as well as municipal gardens and roadside green spaces.
Beyond preserving traditional varieties in gene banks, the program aims to establish a parallel conservation system by mapping out traditional fruit-bearing plants, creating local and national databases, and propagating, cultivating, and utilizing locally adapted and reintroduced traditional varieties. As part of the agreement, these gardens will serve as demonstration sites, playing a crucial role in education and the promotion of traditional varieties.
Since January 1, 2013, the Tápiószele Plant Gene Bank, part of the Centre for National Biodiversity and Gene Conservation, has coordinated the program. By spring 2022, over 300 municipalities and organizations from Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, and Ukraine had expressed interest, resulting in the establishment of 253 demonstration gardens, where 10,259 fruit tree saplings were planted. The distributed species include apple, pear, quince, medlar, cherry, sour cherry, peach, apricot, and plum varieties.
The distribution of the established gardens by organization type:
- 105 municipal gardens
- 70 gardens affiliated with the Reformed Church
- 20 gardens affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church
- 13 gardens affiliated with the Lutheran Church
- 20 school and kindergarten gardens
- 18 gardens associated with other organizations