Grafting Workshop / VT Scionwood Exchange March 18

Hi Friends,

Please share this with potentially interested friends and networks. Hope to see you!

Fruit Tree Grafting Workshop and 5th Annual Scionwood Exchange

March 18, 10 am – 4 pm

Willow Crossing Farm
Johnson, VT

Join us for a day of hands-on fruit tree grafting. We’ll begin the day in the classroom understanding the science of grafting, and practice bench-grafting apples, pears, plums, and other stone fruits.

Everyone will have the opportunity to graft their own trees to take home!

After lunch, we’ll go out and tour grafted and ‘multi-grafted’ fruit trees (including peaches grafted onto plums) and ‘top work’ multiple varieties onto pears, apples, plums, and other stone fruit. We’ll discuss some pruning basics, different grafting strategies for ‘fruit salad trees’, healing damaged trees, reworking new varieties, revitalizing old orchards, enhancing cross-pollination, and space considerations. We’ll also look at and evaluate both successful and failed past grafts.

We’ll contextualize our work in briefly telling some history of our farm and touring our incredibly diverse collection of nuts, berries, vines, nitrogen-fixing plants, and regenerative DIY farm infrastructure. We’ll also explore the incredible history of grafting, the range of grafting possibilities, and practice with professional grafting tools which make for more successful grafts by novices and experts alike.

Each attendant will leave with an apple or pear variety of their choosing on semi-dwarf or standard rootstock, or a stone fruit variety of their choosing on native american plum rootstock.

$80 suggested donation sliding scale includes cider and tea, and your own grafted fruit trees to take home. No one will be refused for lack of funds, but everyone must pre-register.

Due to the popularity of this event, you much pre-register. There is a possibility of another event later in March or in April, please send an email to express your interest.
Please RSVP by filling out the registration form and submitting payment via paypal to: Keith@ProspectRock.org, or sending a check to:

‘Prospect Rock Permaculture’

P.O. Box 426

Jeffersonville, VT 05464

We must get your email address from you, as the weather will determine where we park cars. and we will also send you some information about how to best collect scion wood if you want to propagate some favorite fruit trees.

The workshop will be taught by:

Zach Leonard is a master horticulturalist and as been the farm manager of Elmore Roots Nursery for 15 years. He and his family have created High Hopes Farm, a diverse off-grid homestead.

Nicko Rubin is the owner of East Hill Tree Farm, where he has been growing and propagating hardy fruits and nuts in the foothills of the Groton Mountains. He completed the master’s program for sustainable landscape design at the Conway School.

Dave Johnson is a timber framer with a passion for fruit trees. His competence with sharp tools and wood translate readily into many successful grafts and a legacy of multi-grafted old wild apples throughout the hills of Vermont.

Keith Morris has been collecting and experimenting with rare fruits, nuts, and medicinal plants since 1996, and is professor of ecological design at the University of Vermont. He’s slowly built his family’s farm debt-free with sweat-equity and has contributed to creating resilient and diverse food systems on 5 continents.

Thank you,
Keith
(802) 734-1129

Willow Crossing Farm
Johnson, VT
http://www.WillowCrossing.org

As a reminder- only a few spaces remain for our 9th Annual Prospect Rock Permaculture Design Certification Course,  July 17 – July 29, 2016

Our Fruit, Nut, Berry, Vine, and Medicinal Plant Sale pre-orders are open now!  Plant pick ups begin April 23 and continue through May 22.

St. Patrick’s Day Dinner and Live Music!

March 14, 2012..

THE ST. PATRICKS DAY LOCALVORE DINNER IS SOLD OUT!

You are more than welcome to join us for music and drinks starting at 7 pm.

We will be having a variety of other seasonal/ farm sourced dinners throughout the spring, summer, and fall.  ‘Subscribe’ to this blog to be notified.

THANKS!

After the grafting workshop–  we’ll be having a farm-sourced St. Patricks Day dinner and live music!  Feel free tojoin us for a ‘Céilidh‘!

Chris Dorman, our good friend and fellow organic farmer (Bread and Butter Farm) will be performing his unique ‘Heartfelt Folk’, a sound and talent hard to put words to.  We’re honored to host this world-touring, professionally recorded, and renown gifted musician and composer right here in Johnson!  Check out video of one of our favorites ‘Family Farm’ here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pyc9xpgxC1Q and view his website here: http://chrisdormanmusic.com/press

Our guest chef, Emily Wheeler, will be preparing an entirely local Corned Beef dinner.  She has been brining freshly-harvested organic grass-pastured beef from our friends and neighbors at Applecheek Farm, with veggies from Foote Brook Organic Farm, Blackwell Roots, and grown here at Willow Crossing.

We’ll also have beer from either Hill Farmstead Brewery or Rock Art.  We won’t be dying it green…  but you can bring a green tinted glass if you’d like!  ; -)

The dinner will be served at 6, and the music will begin at 7.  You are more than welcome to enjoy the music and beer, regardless of whether you’ll be eating with us.  A donation is suggested to help pay Chris and for the keg.

The dinner is a minimum suggested donation of $20 (including beer), and we need to know exactly how many people we’ll be serving as soon as possible.

Again, we’re looking forward to having you out and kicking off the spring with our first party of the year!

Thanks!

Keith and Family

LactoFermentation Workshop- Sunday Sept. 16!

Hi Friends,

Join us this Sunday, September 16, to learn the ancient art and alchemy of using helpful bacteria to preserve food for Fall and Winter storage. This hands-on workshop will survey the many options of lacto-fermentation and its health benefits. We will also make several fermented foods at Willow Crossing Farm’s new Harvest Kitchen.

Cost is $35, which includes a jar of fermented food to enjoy at home. Please pre-register by emailing KorigVT@yahoo..com
or call (802) 355-6910

Workshop led by Emily Wheeler, head chef for our annual Permaculture Design Certification course, and other farm dinners.Emily grew up in central Vermont, connecting with nature on her family’s small parcel of land with gardens, fields and forest. Her interest and awareness in food began at an early age, when she became a vegetarian and necessity taught her to cook. While in college, her curiosity of how things work led her to the conclusion that the world would be much happier if more time was spent in direct connection with growing, harvesting, preparing and enjoying food. Currently a student of herbal medicine, Emily cooks with a unique approach which honors the Vermont seasons, traditional diets, allergies and special needs. She welcomes all into the kitchen and gardens, in hopes that every opportunity will deepen student’s connection to their personal culinary passions.Emily’s creative intention for the course’s menu is to introduce student’s to the possibilities of local-foods-based meals while nourishing body and mind. Meat will be served regularly, although not daily. Expect creative fare ranging from home-made buckwheat noodle stir-fries with Vermont kim chee, spinach and dandelion frittata with new potato home fries, tempeh and lamb kabobs, or a fresh summer salad with goat’s milk chevre and fresh herbal sun tea. Most dietary needs can be accommodated, including dairy or wheat/gluten intolerance, vegetarian/vegan diets, and other sensitivities.

Welcome to Prospect Rock Permaculture

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Prospect Rock Permaculture is a growing edible forest garden, ecological homestead, and education center in Johnson along the Lamoille River. We combine reforestation, wildlife refuge, and ecological restoration with food production and community building, while educating about and experimenting with sustainable techniques and ways of building. We grow seed with High Mowing Organic Seeds, keep bees and wild craft medicinal plants for Honey Gardens Apiaries, grow fruits, nuts, and berries with Elmore Roots Nursery, and also work researching and educating about biodiesel. Be in touch for updates about classes, workshops, tours, and internship or apprentice opportunities.