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Hands-on Pruning and Grafting

Description:
Pruning and grafting are valuable skills for any orchardist. Whether you have a few in your backyard or maintain a number of commercial fruit trees, pruning and grafting are a regular part of the maintenance and health protocols for your trees. Both skills can be easily learned, but both take a little practice. A little information goes a long way to getting started in the right direction.

Pruning fruit trees is an important task for getting good fruit ripening, disease control, and bud formation for the following year. The basics are easy to understand when combined with hands-on pruning demonstrations. Grafting is an exciting skill to learn. Being able to choose the variety you want, learning to handle a grafting knife, and then watching that first little green shoot sprout forth is simultaneously both very humbling and empowering.

Join instructor Alan Surprenant, who has been growing fruit trees for over 30 years, to learn the invaluable skills of pruning and grafting. The day-long workshop will take participants through the how, why and when of both pruning and grafting, accompanied by hands-on practice at both. This is an opportunity to add two skills to your repertoire that will improve the health and vigor of your fruit trees.

About the Instructor:
Alan Surprenant has been growing apples since 1982. He planted his own orchard of 100 fruit trees in 1990. Alan grafted most of the trees himself choosing varieties that lend themselves to organic orcharding practices. The orchard produces about 400 bushels per year which are sold through the Ashfield Farmers Market. Alan has been teaching orcharding for five years using his own orchard as a classroom. He has simplified the sometimes confusing tasks of growing good fruit. He is passionate about growing healthy fruit and teaching others how to do it, too.

More Info:
Lunch will be potluck style from 12:00pm 1:00pm. Bring a dish to share. Coffee and tea will be available during the workshop.

Scholarships are available for new farmers (those growing 10 or less years) who are active NOFA/Mass members. To apply please clickhere.

To Join Nofa/Mass go to www.nofamass.org/membership