North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Michael Phillips" <michael@herbsandapples.com>]

I'll offer up a quick take on what all is happening at this weekend's conference. I appreciate everyone bearing with us as we fit in organizing a bona fide conference at the height of summer busyness!

 

Thursday evening - Registration opens at 6. Hopefully folks get a chance to meet up in the Holiday Inn lobby beforehand, say around 5, to meet other NAFEXer's for dinner at a Concord area restaurant. That evening we'll have a mini trade show of sorts along with a special cider presentation at 7:30. Chuck Souther of Apple Hill Farm will speak on unique hard cider varieties and Nicole Liebon of Farnum Hill Cidery will speak on the art of cider making, all followed by a liberal sampling of four or five of Farnum Hill's vintage ciders. We encourage NAFEXers to share their own brews as well.

 

Friday  - We start at 8:30 am at the Holiday Inn with a welcome message, then onto four slots of workshops with four concurrent sessions in each. These presentations are somewhat organized to provide an apple, stone fruit, grapes and berries, and general interest topic in each time slot. We have very knowledgeable people lined up to speak and know we'll all be wishing we could attend every talk!  We'll tour Gould Hill Orchard and Apple Hill Farm by bus in the afternoon , ending up at Lake Winnepausakie for an evening cruise and dinner banquet. Rick Leadbetter at Gould Hill knows his varieties and rootstocks well, plus has patented the Hampshire apple. Chuck and Diane Souther at Apple Hill will share loads of IPM savvy and almost every fruit we can grow here in New Hampshire.

 

Saturday - We start down at the University of New Hampshire Hort Farm for research tours with Bill Lord, Alan Eaton, and possibly Bill McHardy (noted for his cutting edge research on apple scab). Then its on to the Reinhold Winery for a catered lunch and a tour. Then its on to Butternut Farm for a tour and a very special keynote talk by Alex Shigo at 4 pm.   Dr. Shigo's books include A New Tree Biology and 100 Tree Myths. This is a man well-known across the globe for tree insights that go beyond contemporary thinking. We've asked him to apply his ideas to our fruit tree orchards. Then we finish with a chicken barbeque at Butternut Farm and simply enjoy each other's company.

 

See you all soon!

 

Michael Phillips

Lost Nation Orchard

RFD 1  Box 275
Groveton, NH 03582

www.HerbsAndApples.com