Hundreds of fruit growers gathered online for an exciting series of eight interactive sessions with some of North America’s leading fruit growers, breeders, and soil experts.
The NAFEX 2024 Virtual Conference featured three days of inspiring and informative online sessions, Nov. 7-9, via ZOOM and by phone.
Keynote Address
Author of “The Ecological Farm” Helen Atthowe delivered the closing keynote address. See the complete schedule, topics and speakers below.
Annual Meeting & Member Show and Tell
The conference included the 2024 NAFEX Annual Meeting and Member Show and Tell on Friday, Nov. 8.
Watch the Recorded Sessions
All sessions were recorded. Real time participants had the opportunity to ask questions, engage with our speakers, and share information with fellow fruit growers. There was a Q&A after each presentation.
Free with Your $19 NAFEX Membership
Access to conference is included with your $19 NAFEX membership. Join or renew today.
Current Members: Access to webinar recordings and downloadable resources is FREE for all NAFEX members in good standing. Members automatically received daily emails with session links and call-in numbers. No registration is needed.
Non-members: Membership is only $19 and you’ll receive full access to conference, plus full member benefits for one year!
Generously Sponsored by:
Shop now at One Green World and enjoy 10% off your order with the coupon code
*NAFEX*!
Conference Schedule
(Add a Reminder to your Calendar)
THURSDAY, NOV. 7
(Two Sessions)
SESSION 1
2 pm PST / 5 pm EST
Outside the Cider Apple Box
Cider apples have been cultivated for centuries in Europe, but their performance in North America has not been without its challenges. A movement of fruit explorers and citizen scientists are changing the way ciders and perrys are made in the US.
Dave Carr of Raging Cider in San Marcos, California joins us to discuss how he has utilized a combination of feral, foraged, and cultivated fruit to craft very unique ciders and perrys. Carr will discuss the environmental pressures of growing in Southern California and how he has adapted to environmental pressures. He will also discuss seedling trials and his orchard. Whether you’re a seasoned grower, forager, cider maker or just curious, you’ll walk away with a deeper understanding of how to perhaps craft your own exceptional cider.
Speaker:
David Carr, of Raging Cider
Moderator:
Sean Williams, NAFEX Interest Group Chair
SESSION 2
3:30 pm PST / 6:30 pm EST
No Land, No Problem. Growing with minimal space
Do you want to grow some of your own food but have a small yard? This session will show you how to do that successfully. Author Lee Reich will cover proven techniques for growing abundant crops in a small footprint.
This session will also be of interest for growers with an interest in shaping their trees into beautiful and elaborate shapes.
Lee’s session will include oblique cordon & espalier techniques, as well as European-style and backyard growing. And, an audience favorite, Lee will discuss methods for growing a delicious variety of figs.
Speaker:
Lee Reich
Moderator:
Kris Klueg Heeter, NAFEX President
FRIDAY (morning), NOV. 8
(Two Sessions)
SESSION 1
8 am PST / 11 am EST
Old Southern Apples & New Opportunities
Go back on a journey in time, deep into the heart of Southern homesteads and orchards where wonderful apple varieties were being grown. Overtime like many of these apples became lost as old southern apples were not immune to conformity and many varieties fell into obscurity. Many varieties are lost for good. However, if it weren’t for some modern day fruit explorers like Creighton Lee Calhoun, Tom Brown, and Joyce Neighbors we would have lost a lot more. Today even after both Calhoun and Neighbors have passed their rediscoveries still live on at historical orchards and backyards across the US.
Join us as Jason Bowen and Josh Fuder discuss Old Southern Apples and their place in the Southern foodways. They will provide background into regional varieties and nurseries. Interesting stories on apples like Junaluska and answer a nagging question. Do Limbertwigs really have a Limbertwiggy flavor? Learn what is being done to preserve these large collections of southern apples and how southern apples may fit in a warming plan?
Speakers:
Jason Bowen, Horne Creek Farm
Josh Fuder, ANR agent Cherokee County, GA
Moderator:
Larry Stephenson, NAFEX Director
SESSION 2
10:30 am PST / 1:30 pm EST
Project Pawpaw
Adam D’Angelo of Project Pawpaw will introduce us to the future of sustainable agriculture via the pawpaw!
What’s Project Pawpaw?
Project Pawpaw is a collaborative effort to develop varieties of pawpaw (Asimina triloba) that better meet the needs of both farmers and consumers. They aim to develop new cultivars of pawpaws which taste great, grow well, and have a longer shelf life. Their work is entirely crowdfunded – all of their funding comes from the sale of products through our online store and at in-person events. This funding structure gives them the agility to explore new areas of scientific inquiry while also keeping them efficient.
Join us to hear what may be happening with Pawpaws in the near future!
Speaker:
Adam D’Angelo
Moderator:
Chris Homanics, NAFEX Vice President
FRIDAY (afternoon), NOV. 8
(Two Sessions)
SESSION 3
1 pm PST / 4 pm EST
Vitis Vinifera and Muscadines: Grape Breeders seek the best of both grapes
Muscadines may be the folksy American of the grape world, but they have many qualities like disease resistance and unique flavors that are desired in the more popular Vitis vinifera (bunch grapes) species.
Likewise, Vitis vinifera — the species that most people eat as table grapes and drink in wine — has many characteristics desirable for muscadines, like thinner skin, a crispier texture and seedlessness. Successfully combining traits from these two species of grapes is a challenge due to differing numbers of base chromosomes.
Margaret Worthington and Renee Threlfall with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture are co-directors of a national project supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to crossbreed muscadines and Vitis vinifera grapes for shared desirable traits. New table grape varieties like Candy Hearts™ and Cotton Candy™ show that consumers are excited about new bold flavors for fruit. However, the genetics for disease resistance are lacking in Vitis grapes, and there is still work needed to make muscadines more appealing to a broader consumer base.
Join us to learn what new grapes may be available to grow in the future!
Speakers:
Margaret Worthington
Renee Threlfall, University of Arkansas
Moderator:
Sean Williams, NAFEX Interest Group Chair
SESSION 4
3:30 pm PST / 6:30 pm EST
NAFEX Annual general meeting and Member Show & Tell
Join us as we take a brief look back at 2023, look ahead to 2024, and review our Board of Directors candidates. Bring your stories about fruit growing for the always-fun member Show and Tell. The Show and Tell will emphasize discovering or breeding fruit but all stories are welcome – as are new members.
Moderator:
Kris Klueg Heeter, NAFEX President
SATURDAY, NOV. 9
(Two Sessions)
SESSION 1
10:30 am PST / 1:30 pm EST
Biological Tools an Overview of IPM for Fruit Production
Alison will take a Birds Eye look at some of the innovative IPM (Integrated Pest Management) angles that growers of Blueberries, Apples, Hazelnuts, Wine Grapes and more have embraced over the last few years. From building soil with compost teas, to tackling disease and pests with microbial tools, growers have found the need to reach for new ideas. While research does its best to follow the industry lead of production growers, it’s really the farmer (and their challenges) that are willing to lead the brigade and do things differently. Where do these worlds intersect? This presentation will give examples of the use of beneficial insects with novel drone deployment over orchards, vineyards, almonds and strawberries, and share some ideas from the biological realm that will stimulate your own on-farm brainstorming.
Speaker:
Alison Kutz
Moderators:
Chris Homanics, NAFEX Vice President
Kaitlyn Chambers, NAFEX Programs Co-Chair
SESSION 2
1 pm PST / 4 pm EST
The Ecological Orchard: A No-Till, No-Spray, Selective-Weeding, Grow-Your-Own-Fertilizer System for Organic Orchards
This session will cover Helen’s no-till, no-spray, selective-weeding, grow-your-own-fertilizer system for organic orchards that was developed & refined over 35 years while owning & operating (and co-operating with her late husband) on 3 certified organic orchards and vegetable farms ranging from 30-211 acres, spanning 3 states. You won’t want to miss this talk.
Speaker:
Helen Atthowe
Moderators:
Matt Stevens, NAFEX Programs Co-Chair
Kaitlyn Chambers, NAFEX Programs Co-Chair
2024 Speaker Bios
2024 Moderator Bios
Conference Details
Session Times
Thursday, Nov. 7 (2 sessions) – 4 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Eastern
Friday, Nov 8 (4 sessions) – 11 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 4 p.m., 6:30 p.m. Eastern
Saturday, Nov. 9 (2 sessions) – 1:30 p.m., 4 p.m. Eastern
All sessions are 90 minutes in length including participant questions and answers.
Audience Participation
Participants will be able to submit questions via the ZOOM chat during Q&A at the end of the seven speaker sessions.
Notifications and Conference Links
NAFEX members in good standing will be emailed the conference ZOOM links daily. Please check your spam folder if you did not see the email in your inbox or email us at admin@nafexmembers.org
ZOOM Information
New to ZOOM? It’s easy to set up your own free account and access the conference from your phone, computer or tablet. Here’s a link to ZOOM’s how-to guide.
Session Recordings
All sessions will recorded and made available to NAFEX members for viewing after the conference.
Conference Culture
NAFEX is committed to creating a conference culture of reciprocal learning that is non-judgemental and engaging of all people. We request that all participants respect themselves and one another, honor different views and opinions, and create a welcoming environment for learning and sharing.
Questions?
Please email questions to admin@nafexmembers.org. Please allow 1-2 days for a reply as all of our conference organizers are volunteers as well as busy fruit growers.
About our Sponsors
Trailblazer Sponsor
One Green World is a family-owned retail and mail order nursery located in Portland, Oregon that specializes in fruiting trees, shrubs, berries, citrus, and more! They ship
nationwide and provide expert advice on plant care and gardening.
Specializing in edible plants, they’re always seeking new, unique varieties.
Shop now at One Green World and enjoy 10% off your order with the coupon code
*NAFEX*!
Discoverer Sponsors
CopenHaven Farms has been growing high-quality rootstock and seedlings for fruit trees on their family farm in Gaston, Oregon since 1982. CopenHaven is located in Oregon’s fertile Willamette Valley, halfway between the city of Portland and the Pacific Ocean, where their plants benefit from a climate ideally suited to growing rootstock. In addition to great natural resources, their knowledgeable and hardworking team ensures their plants are healthy and their customers happy every step of the way. Their rootstock are certified virus-free through the Oregon Department of Agriculture.
Forager Sponsors
Southern Cultured Orchards & Nursery was founded by long-time NAFEX member Larry Stephenson. Based in Coldwater, Mississippi, Southern Cultured Orchards & Nursery cultivates heirloom Southern apple trees that are for sale at local and regional markets and available for shipping as potted or dormant bare root trees. Larry is proud to offer yesterday’s fruits grown today for tomorrow’s generations.