Apple Grafting Workshop

One day program – When getting a ticket; pick your preferred date.
Saturday, March 29th, 1pm – 4pm
or Saturday, April 5th, 1pm – 4pm
Program cost: $65/person
Class Size: Limited to 6 adults/session

During this hands-on, educational workshop, you will learn grafting.

Why is grafting important?

Because apple seeds typically do not grow true to type, grafting is necessary to make an exact copy of a particular variety of tree. 

How is it done?

The process combines the root system of one tree with a scion from different tree. A scion is a one-year-old piece of wood collected from a preferred apple variety. Once the scion is grafted to the rootstock, the newly formed tree will produce apples that exhibit the exact same characteristics as the tree the scion was collected from. Heritage apples exist, because of grafting and now you can learn these techniques to graft your own fruit trees!

In this workshop you will learn:

About rootstocks, collecting scions, bench grafting techniques, and how to care for newly grafted trees.

Bonus:

Each participant will have the opportunity to graft two apple trees which can be planted out later this Spring.

Want to save a favorite or family tree?

Although scions will be provided, you can bring one of your own from a special tree and graft it onto one of your rootstocks during the workshop. A good scion is an 8-10 inch piece of one year old fruit wood.

Note:

Grafters will be required to sign a waiver prior to participating in the program.

The class is open to adults only. Class size is limited to 6 per session.

Your Instructor:

Speaker, Chris Wayne, owner of Bee Forage Farm, grows apples, cherries, peaches, and pears, along with many other fruits. Having been inspired to start a fruit orchard due to a lack of local organic options, Chris now seeks to help others by showcasing what can be done in a small-scale orchard with practices that are focused on improving the environment.

Top-working Fruit Trees

May

Would you like to learn how to grow multiple types of fruit on one tree? Top-working is a unique way to add to or change the variety of a fruit tree. Top-working is a great way to improve pollination, because you can add multiple cultivars of a particular fruit onto a single healthy tree making it easy for pollinators to do their job.

Summer Fruit Tree Pruning

July

In this workshop you will learn all about summer fruit tree pruning. Find out when to do it, why to do it, and most importantly, how to do it.

Fruit tree pruning is a task that improves the health of your trees and their ability to produce high quality fruit. There are two main times of year that pruning is typically done. Those are winter and summer. Each has specific reasons for pruning at that time.

Are you are looking to:

Control excessive growth and tame the size of your tree

Improve the overall structure of your tree

Guide it towards its most productive form

Increase fruit bud development

Then… Summer pruning is for you!

By attending, you will learn a straightforward approach that will build your confidence in pruning, help you to develop a routine that is easy to perform and direct your trees towards increased productivity.

Speaker: Chris Wayne, owner of Bee Forage Farm, grows apples, cherries, peaches, and pears, along with many other fruits. Having been inspired to start a fruit orchard due to a lack of local organic options, Chris now seeks to help others by showcasing what can be done in a small-scale orchard with practices that are focused on improving the environment.

Garlic Days

Saturdays in August

The garlic crop has cured and now it is time to celebrate all things garlic.

It’s time for Garlic Days!

Running each Saturday in August from 2pm – 6pm (or until we run out of garlic).

Stop by to get your fresh garlic, take part in a garlic tasting (3pm), learn how to grow your own garlic and discover what’s new at the farm.

Monarch Butterfly Workshop

August

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature has listed monarch butterflies as endangered. Monarch butterflies are widely recognized as ambassadors of pollinators all around the world.

One in every three bites of food are the result of pollination. Pollinators play a critical role in feeding the world, so it is important know about the needs of all pollinators and do our part to help them.

During this event, you’ll learn about monarchs, their needs and how to raise them from egg to adult butterfly. In addition, you will find out how we can play an active role in improving our environment, which will not only help monarchs, but also all of the other pollinators in our area.

If you love seeing these beautiful creatures as they flutter in the wind, now is the time to learn more about them and how you can play an active role in helping them survive.

Winter Pruning Workshop

February & March

With fruit trees still in winter dormancy, now is the time to prune. Come and learn the techniques to successfully prune your fruit trees, improve their overall health, and increase fruit quality.

Whether you are new to pruning or have been pruning for multiple years, there is always something new to learn. Many consider the task of pruning daunting, but in this workshop, you will learn a simple series of steps that will make the process easy. Gain both knowledge and confidence, so you can prune with conviction and enjoy the annual process of caring for your trees.

The program is a combination of lecture and demonstration. In addition, participants will be provided take home material for future reference, so there will be no need to worry about taking notes.

By caring for your trees in winter, they will reward you with a bounty of delicious fruit in the fall.

Speaker, Chris Wayne runs Bee Forage Farm, a small scale fruit orchard and pollinator plant nursery. When not on the farm, you’ll find him leading talks and serving the public at community events throughout Western Massachusetts.

This program will be held outdoors. Please dress appropriately for the weather.

In case of inclement weather, a rain date will be announced.

Winter Sowing

February

Anxious to start gardening? The first day of Spring is a long way off and it’s still cold and frosty outside, but we have good news – You could be winter sowing!

• Winter Sowing is a great way to get an early start on your gardening season.
• It’s a perfect way to start native plants with a high level of success.
• It’s easy, fun, and you don’t need a greenhouse or any expensive equipment!

Join us as we kick off 2025 with a free event to get the year off to a good start.
Seating limited to 6.