Organic Orcharding Classes Again in 2005!
Once again MOFGA will sponsor a comprehensive series of five classes in organic orcharding. The day-long workshops will be held at orchards in central Maine and will follow the seasons from March through October, progressing from pruning to grafting, planting, pest management and harvest. Classes will be geared toward beginners as well as experienced growers. The format will be primarily hands-on and will offer plenty of time for discussions and questions.
The cost is $175 for the series; $50 per class; with a 30% student/apprentice discount. Call MOFGA at 207-568-4142 to register; enrollment is limited. Bring your own lunch; beverages will be supplied.
Here’s the schedule:
Sat., March 19, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Bearwell Orchard in Searsmont. Join Steve Page and Bob Sewall for hands-on pruning and early spring orchard care. Learn to prune dwarf, semi-dwarf and standard trees, to collect and store scionwood, and more. Sewall and Page have been growing organic apples for some 20 years each; and Page is author of The Orchard Almanac.
May 1, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sandy River Orchard in Mercer. Join John Bunker, Francis Fenton and others for a hands-on demonstration of fruit tree grafting and planting. Learn bench grafting (indoors) of rootstock and top working (outdoors) of established trees of various ages. Discuss spring orchard care, fertilization and more. Fenton has been growing apples since before the rest of us were born; Bunker founded Fedco Trees and has been exploring fruit throughout New England for over 30 years.
Sat., May 21, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sewall’s Orchard in Lincolnville. Bob Sewall, Michael Phillips and Glen Koehler explore preseason pests and discuss organic control. Lectures, discussions, Q&A, inside and out. Phillips is best known as the author of The Apple Grower, the most thorough book to date on organic orcharding. Koehler, a pest management specialist with Cooperative Extension, spends much of his time helping orchardists all over Maine.
Sat., July 16, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Ricker Hill Orchards in Turner. Join Peter Ricker, Steve Meyerhans and Steve Page for a tour of the orchards, containing one of the largest blocks of organic trees in Maine. Identify pest damage and examine prevention strategies. Learn about leaf analysis and more. Meyerhans operates The Apple Farm in Fairfield and Lakeside Orchards.
Sat., Oct. 8, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Teltane Farm, Monroe. Join Mark Fulford, John Bunker and Michael Phillips for a working and learning tour of Fulford’s diverse, experimental orchard. Fulford is well known around New England for his cutting edge thinking on all aspects of soil health and orchard management, so this is sure to be a rewarding wrap-up to the series. Bring your own apples to share and be identified.