UMass Orchard Workshops in Central MA

General Fruit Growing
#1

I got this email from UMass Aggie.

Our 2020 UMass Mass Aggie Series Workshops Begin March 7!

Each year, UMass Extension offers a workshop series for homeowners and small scale farmers. Many of the workshops have a hands-on component that will help participants gain new skills that they can use in their own gardens or landscapes. Locations and registration fees vary.

For full details, see the attached flyer or go to UMassGarden.com.

  • March 7 - Home Orchard Pruning - a Hands-on Workshop
    Harvard MA, 10am - 12pm, $50
  • March 14 - Pruning Blueberries - a Hands-on Workshop
    Leominster MA, 10am - 12pm, $50
  • March 21 - Pruning Grapes - a Hands-on Workshop
    Belchertown MA, 10am - 12pm, $50
  • March 28 - Home Orchard Establishment & Basics - a Classroom Workshop
    Harvard MA, 10am - 12pm, $50
  • March 28 - Home Orchard Pest Management - a Hands-on Workshop
    Harvard MA, 1pm - 3:30pm, $50
  • April 4 - Introductory Hard Cider Appreciation - a Classroom Workshop
    Phillipston MA, 12pm - 2pm, $65
  • April 11 - Grafting Apple Trees - a Hands-on Workshop
    Belchertown, MA, 9:30am - 3pm, $100
  • April 18 - Native Pollinator Conservation & Biology - a Classroom Workshop
    UMass Amherst, 10am - 12pm, $30

Questions? Contact Doreen York at 413-545-2254

To register, go to: UMassGarden.com

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Grafting classes in Massachusetts
#2

Seems like some good classes. Are you going to any? I’ve watched a few vids that Mr Clements has done regarding various apple trials, kind of interesting. I think I’d like the hard cider class…

The costs of the classes seem kinda high though, or do the fees cover multiple classes?

I think we get a great deal at our UK grafting seminars, they have been only $10 for the last couple years. The seminar includes pest and disease management, grafting class including doing your own with your pick of three apple varieties, along with rootstocks, a catered lunch, then an on-site pruning class at a local orchard.

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#3

It’s the price we pay living in MA. Everything is expensive including dirt.

I may try to go to a pruning workshop because I hardly ever get it right.

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#4

Pricey but we never have anything around here like that, at least I never hear of anything like that :man_shrugging:

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#5

You should check out extension services of universities near you. It does not have to be in TN.

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#6

University of Tennessee does have an agricultural extension close by but I never hear what kinds of things, if any, that they do. I will check around better and see if I can find anything though :+1:

#7

I just checked the local offices to see if they have scheduled any such classes, but they haven’t yet. But, they prob will in a few weeks. The ones I’ve been to were held on the first Sat in March.

#8

I guess me working most Saturdays won’t help either :man_facepalming: :sweat_smile:

#9

Well, the classes I have attended are in Flemingsburg, in NE Kentucky. So, while just an hour drive for me, it may be a bit further for you.

But, there’s the possibility there may be a class in SE KY closer to you. Still a ways, but not that far. You can check out various county offices in this link to see. @BlueBerry is in south KY, maybe he is aware of such classes in the past.

http://extension.ca.uky.edu/county

Edit: I did some looking around the UT extension site, and it looks like they have had grafting classes in Blountville, and Newport in past years. So you ought to monitor their site to see if there’s one somewhere this year. It may be a long drive to those places, if that’s the only locations they’re doing the classes.

https://extension.tennessee.edu/_layouts/OSSSearchResults.aspx?k=Grafting&cs=This%20Site&u=https%3A%2F%2Fextension.tennessee.edu&start1=1

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#10

Thanks for checking :+1: the place you take classes is about 4 hours from me and Blountville TN is almost as far from me but Newport is about 130 or so miles. Still to far for a Saturday class but maybe I can find something closer. In fact Blueberry lives closer to me than those places and he may have a closer place I could try :+1: Thanks!

#11

Just checking and 2 years ago they had fruit growing and grafting classes in the next county over from me… So there is hope that they will in the coming years.

#12

MOFGA in Maine has some good workshops, too. A bit more of a hike for you than Belchertown or Harvard, but good to have options.

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#13

The only workshop on grafting I currently am aware of is the one in Blountville, TN put on by UT ag extension. 423 574 1919 to register. 1:30 to 3:30 on 3/20/20
This is near the Bristol Motor Speedway if I remember…Northeast of Johnson City TN. Put another way, an hour and 45 minutes east of Knoxville.

I can’t imagine why I’d need to attend, unless it would be for the fun of it.

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