NAFEX

Growing Quince
2022-08-16 19:30 - 21:00 (America/New_York) | ZOOM
Join us online or by phone Tuesday, August 16, at 6:30 PM Central for our next NAFEX Interest Group session as we talk about growing quince successfully with Joseph Postman and some of his quince growing friends.
We’ll learn more about quince and why we should grow it as well as some of the real and perceived challenges of growing this beautiful fruit. Joseph will talk about some of the more interesting cultivars, diseases (including fire blight), cold hardiness and regional adaptations, quince as a pear rootstock, and cooking with quince (spoiler, it must be cooked).
The presentation will be followed by a Q&A and discussion amongst our members about your experiences growing quince and your questions about getting started.
This forum is FREE with your $19 annual membership. NAFEX members will automatically receive an email invitation with the ZOOM link and call-in information before the event.
Not yet a member? Join NAFEX today and find the ZOOM link and call-in numbers on our Interest Groups page on the day of the event.
About our Speaker:
Joseph Postman retired in August 2019 from the USDA National Clonal Germplasm Repository in Corvallis, Oregon, where he worked for more than 25 years as a plant pathologist and curator. He helped to develop the living ‘World Pear Collection,’ representing genetic diversity of pear cultivars and species from around the world. Along with his wife, Lois Olund, he is now tending his personal collection of a hundred or so apple cultivars, an assortment of blueberries, grapes and pears, and a flock of Wensleydale sheep on their small farm outside of Corvallis.

Fruit Growers Virtual Happy Hour
2022-07-20 19:30 - 21:00 | ZOOM
Join the North American Fruit Explorers for a special Virtual Happy Hour for fruit growers, Wednesday, July 20, at 6:30 PM CST.
It’s hot and the bugs and diseases are keeping us up at night, so let’s take a break, drink something cold and connect with fellow fruit growers!
Preview the New Fruit Tree Pedigree Explorer
NAFEX member Eric Bina has developed an exciting visual tool for representing the parentage and pedigree of various fruit trees utilizing the extensive SNP DNA database and other publicly available data sources.
Eric has created two databases to date, one for apples and another for pears, which he’ll preview on ZOOM.
What are You Growing and How is it Going?
We’ll also share what’s happening in our orchards, farms and gardens, talk about the challenges of this summer’s weather, and share fruit growing successes and epic (but relatable) failures.
The meeting will start on ZOOM or by phone at 4:30 p.m. PDT / 5:30 p.m. MDT / 6:30 p.m. CDT / 7:30 p.m. EDT.
Bring your favorite beverage and a story to share!
Free with your NAFEX membership
This forum is FREE with your $19 annual membership. NAFEX members will automatically receive an email invitation with the ZOOM link and call-in information before the event.
Not yet a member? Join NAFEX today and find the ZOOM link and call-in numbers on our Interest Groups page on the day of the event.

Growing Elderberry for Home and Market
2022-06-22 19:30 - 21:00 | ZOOM
Join us online or by phone Wednesday, June 22, at 6:30 PM Central time for our next NAFEX Interest Group session as we talk about growing elderberries, particularly upscaling for greater production.
Chris Sullivan will cover the current state of commercial production of native North American Elderberry, it’s market status and future potential, production methods, cultivar selection, elderberry pests and diseases, geography, economics, and other related concerns for growers. We will also introduce the mission of the Midwest Elderberry Cooperative and how it may be helpful to commercial farmers located in the Midwestern United States.
The presentation will be followed by a Q&A with Chris and a discussion amongst our members about your experiences growing native elderberries and various cultivars.
Do you have experience growing elderberry at a home scale or for market? Bring your tales of success or challenges to share with the group.
This forum is FREE with your $19 annual membership. NAFEX members will automatically receive an email invitation with the ZOOM link and call-in information before the event.
Not yet a member? Join NAFEX today and find the ZOOM link and call-in numbers on our Interest Groups page on the day of the event.
About Our Speaker:

Chris Sullivan – Chris Sullivan is an advocate, speaker, educator and consultant in local and regenerative food production and marketing. He has taught gardeners, homesteaders and small farm producers on various topics, including nutrient dense food production, building healthy soils, soil biology, and other topics related to organic and regenerative agriculture. He is the Indiana liaison for the Midwest Elderberry Cooperative, and is currently in the process of helping to develop the commercial production and marketing of North American Elderberry and elderberry value added products in Indiana and other Midwestern states. Connect with Chris at provivoag.com.

Growing Persimmon and Pawpaw for Market
2022-05-17 19:30 - 21:00 | ZOOM
Are persimmon and pawpaw worth growing for market? Join NAFEX President Kris Heeter (aka Dr. Kris Klueg) to learn the pros and cons. Kris will share an informative presentation originally created by a legendary fruit grower, the late Jerry Lehman.
We’ll talk about growing persimmon and pawpaw and share detailed information that Jerry gathered from the late James Claypool on income potential and recommended cultivation.
Following the presentation, we’ll open up for general discussion among NAFEX members on present day cultivation and market potential.
This forum is FREE with your $19 annual membership. NAFEX members will automatically receive an email invitation with the ZOOM link and call-in information before the event.
Not yet a member? Join NAFEX today and find the ZOOM link and call-in numbers on our Interest Groups page.
About Our Speaker:

Dr. Kris Klueg Heeter – Kris Heeter (aka Dr. Kris Klueg) is a biologist at Indiana University where she oversees the management of an international repository for biological samples. She is the President of the North American Fruit Explorers, is on the Board of Directors of the Northern Nut Growers Association (NNGA) and the Indiana Nut and Fruit Growers Association (INFGA). She and her husband, Brian, a have a small orchard and classified forest on a 100-acre place in Solsberry, IN, near the famous Tulip Trestle (the world’s third-longest railroad viaduct and the longest rail trestle in the US). Kris and Brian have worked with INGFA to develop the first Indiana fruit and nut tree repository on their property.

Fruit Grafting Workshop
2022-04-20 19:30 - 21:00 | OR
Grafting season is here! Join NAFEX directors Taylor Malone and Taylor Yowell to learn more about grafting fruit at this special virtual grafting workshop. Using onscreen graphics and video, our speakers will describe different graphic methods, which methods to use when, and tools and tips for success.
Topics will include: How to collect and store scion wood; rootstock considerations; the biology of grafting; recommended tools; and demonstrations of both bench grafting (in the greenhouse) and top working (in the field). Demos will include grafting American Persimmons.
Have an interesting grafting story or method to share? Bring your tales of success or failures to share with the group.
This forum is FREE with your $19 annual membership. NAFEX members will automatically receive an email invitation with the ZOOM link and call-in information before the event.
Not yet a member? Join NAFEX today and find the ZOOM link and call-in numbers on our Interest Groups page.
About Our Speakers:

Taylor Malone – Tree crops hold the key to a diverse agricultural landscape, and Taylor Malone is on a mission to propagate the past in order to reimagine the future. He co-founded The Fruit Explorers with Eliza Greenman and consults in the following areas: Locating heirloom and unique fruit and nut cultivars worthy of propagation; Tree crop breeding assistance; Landscape tree assessments and cultivar identification; and, Tree crops archive and document discovery, digitization, and dissemination. Taylor is based in northeastern Tennessee and currently serves as vice president on the NAFEX board of directors.
Taylor Yowell – Taylor’s agricultural career began in 2011, at an organic farm named Green Fire Farm, located in the Hoopa Valley of Northern California. Since then, he has traveled around the United States learning about natural farming practices, from established farms including Rolling River (CA), Crickets’ Cove (VA), and Native Son (MS). He returned home to Madison County, MS, in the Fall of 2014, to seek a small piece of land to start a farm. He established The Garden Farmacy in the Spring of 2015, and has since been providing healthy, sustainably grown produce throughout the Jackson Metro area. He personally delivers produce to local residences, locally owned restaurants, and farmers’ markets throughout Jackson. Learn more at: https://thegardenfarmacynursery.com/

Selecting Rootstocks with Steve Cummins and Bob Purvis
2022-03-24 19:30 - 21:00 | ZOOM
Grafting season is upon us and that means selecting the right rootstock for your climate, soil and desired plant size.
Join us for a very special session with Steve Cummins of Cummins Nursery and Bob Purvis of Purvis Nursery & Orchard as we discuss rootstock selection for stone fruits, apples, pears, and other fruit trees.
Have an interesting rootstock story to share? Bring your tales of success or failures to share with the group.
Spoiler: We hope to have a very special guest in the house, so don’t miss it!
Please note: There is no cap on attendance for the call.
FREE with your $19 annual membership. NAFEX members will automatically receive an email invitation with the ZOOM link and call-in information before the event.
Not yet a member? Join NAFEX today and find the ZOOM link and call-in numbers on our Interest Groups page. (Max capacity 100 people)
About Our Speakers:

Steve Cummins started Cummins Nursery with his dad, legendary Cornell apple rootstock breeder Dr. James Cummins, and mom, Cindy Cummins, in 1994 in Geneva, NY. Today, the nursery operates from Indian Creek Farm, nestled up on the West Hill of Ithaca, NY, in the heart of New York state’s apple country. Since 1994, Cummins Nursery has shipped trees to orchards of all sizes in the Lower 48 states. They sell fruit trees, rootstocks and provide custom grafting services, and more. Visit them at: https://www.cumminsnursery.com/
Bob Purvis started Purvis Nursery & Orchard in April 2008, shortly after he moved to Idaho from Minnesota. During his time in Alaska (1972-89) he brought a number of Canadian fruit cultivators into the U.S. via the quarantine system to test and evaluate for their suitability in Alaskan conditions. He maintained these in the orchards he later planted in Washington State and Minnesota, not just to observe how they perform there but also so that other fruit growers would have access to them. Today, Bob grafts, grows, and sells trees of hard-to-find fruit cultivars (primarily apricot but also apple, pear, plum and cherry) that will survive and ripen in USDA Zones 2-6, for growers in the northern tier of states. Learn more at https://purvisnurseryandorchard.weebly.com/

Winter Pruning with Lee Reich
2022-02-21 19:30 - 21:00 | ZOOM
Correct and timely pruning are the keys to keeping apples, peaches, and other fruit trees healthy and productive and bearing the tastiest fruits.
Learn the how and — importantly — the why of pruning these plants in their young, developing stage and then as they mature and bear fruits.
You don’t like to prune? We’ll talk about some fruit trees that need (almost) no pruning.
You really like to prune? We’ll touch on espalier too.
FREE with your $19 annual membership. NAFEX members will automatically receive an email invitation with the ZOOM link and call-in information before the event.
Not yet a member? Join NAFEX today and find the ZOOM link and call-in numbers on our Interest Groups page. (Max capacity 100 people)
About Lee Reich:
Lee Reich, PhD, is an avid farmdener (more than a gardener, less than a farmer) with graduate degrees in soil science and horticulture. After working in plant and soil research with the USDA and Cornell University, he shifted gears and turned to writing, lecturing, and consulting.
His books include A Northeast Gardener’s Year, The Pruning Book, Weedless Gardening, Uncommon Fruits for Every Garden, Landscaping With Fruit, Grow Fruit Naturally, and Growing Figs in Cold Climates. He writes regularly for a number of gardening magazines and his syndicated gardening column for Associated Press appears biweekly from coast to coast.
Visit Lee’s farmden at http://leereich.com

Apple Interest Group Meeting: Red-Fleshed Apples
2022-02-09 19:30 - 21:00 | ZOOM
Red-fleshed apples are gaining in popularity!
Explore the history of these beautiful and useful cultivars with Apple Interest Group chair Derek Mills of Hocking Hills Orchard.
The meeting will be held via ZOOM and phone.
Our interactive interest group meetings are open to all NAFEX members in good standing. Please bring your red-fleshed apple stories to share!
FREE with your $19 annual membership. NAFEX members will automatically receive an email invitation with the ZOOM link and call-in information before the event.
Not yet a member? Join NAFEX today!

Keynote Address: The Holistic Orchard
2021-11-20 19:30 - 21:00 | OR
Keynote Address: The Holistic Orchard
Michael Phillips, Lost Nation Orchard; Author of The Holistic Orchard, The Apple Grower, and Mycorrhizal Planet
The ZOOM link will be emailed to NAFEX members and conference participants on Monday morning, November 15.
Sign up and view all conference information here.
New to ZOOM? Set up your free account and access the conference from your phone, computer or tablet. Or visit ZOOM’s how-to guide.

Heroes of Pawpaw and Persimmon Breeding, Past and Present
2021-11-20 15:00 - 16:30 | OR
Heroes of Pawpaw and Persimmon Breeding, Past and Present
Speakers:
Darren Bender-Beauregard, Brambleberry Farm
Buzz Ferver, Perfect Circle Farm
Joe Pizzo, White Lion Farms Foundation
The ZOOM link will be emailed to NAFEX members and conference participants on Monday morning, November 15.
Sign up and view all conference information here.
New to ZOOM? Set up your free account and access the conference from your phone, computer or tablet. Or visit ZOOM’s how-to guide.

Exploring Wild and Cultivated Orchards
2021-11-19 19:30 - 21:00 | OR
Exploring Wild and Cultivated Orchards
Speakers:
Matt Kaminsky, Gnarly Pippins
Sean Williams, Central Illinois Heirlooms
Dan Bussey, Author of The Illustrated History of Apples in the United States and Canada
The ZOOM link will be emailed to NAFEX members and conference participants on Monday morning, November 15.
Sign up and view all conference information here.
New to ZOOM? Set up your free account and access the conference from your phone, computer or tablet. Or visit ZOOM’s how-to guide.

Pears for Your Heirs: Disease Resistance, Wild Fruits & Cultivars
2021-11-19 15:00 - 16:30 | OR
Pears for Your Heirs: Disease Resistance, Wild Fruits & Cultivars
Nahla Bassil, USDA National Clonal Germplasm Repository
Joseph Postman, USDA National Clonal Germplasm Repository (retired)
Marcus Toole, Home Orchardist, Statesboro, Georgia
The ZOOM link will be emailed to NAFEX members and conference participants on Monday morning, November 15.
Sign up and view all conference information here.
New to ZOOM? Set up your free account and access the conference from your phone, computer or tablet. Or visit ZOOM’s how-to guide.

Happy Hour: Member Show and Tell
2021-11-18 19:30 - 21:00 | OR
Happy Hour: Member Show and Tell
Join us for an interactive session to share tips, innovations, creations, successes and failures in your orchard or fruit farm. Adult beverages optional. Email us if you have a fruit-growing story, tip, tool or fruits you’d like to share during this fun and informal session at admin@nafexmembers.org.
The ZOOM link will be emailed to NAFEX members and conference participants on Monday morning, November 15.
Sign up and view all conference information here.
New to ZOOM? Set up your free account and access the conference from your phone, computer or tablet. Or visit ZOOM’s how-to guide.

The Plum Detective: Decoding Burbank's Plums and Hybrids
2021-11-18 15:00 - 16:30 | OR
The Plum Detective: Decoding Burbank’s Plums and Hybrids
Speaker:
Rachel Spaeth, Garden Curator, Luther Burbank Home & Gardens
The ZOOM link will be emailed to NAFEX members and conference participants on Monday morning, November 15.
Sign up and view all conference information here.
New to ZOOM? Set up your free account and access the conference from your phone, computer or tablet. Or visit ZOOM’s how-to guide.

Agroforestry: An Alternative Agriculture
2021-11-17 19:30 - 21:00 | OR
Agroforestry: An Alternative Agriculture
Speakers:
Erik Hagan, Savanna Institute
Zach Elfers, Nomad Seed Project
Max Paschall, Shelterwood Forest Farm

The ZOOM link will be emailed to NAFEX members and conference participants on Monday morning, November 15.
Sign up and view all conference information here.
New to ZOOM? Set up your free account and access the conference from your phone, computer or tablet. Or visit ZOOM’s how-to guide.

All About NAFEX + 2021 Annual Meeting
2021-11-17 15:00 - 16:30 | OR
All About NAFEX + 2021 Annual Meeting
What is NAFEX? Discover more about NAFEX, its history and stories from longtime members. Business agenda: Board elections and other new business.
The ZOOM link will be emailed to NAFEX members and conference participants on Monday morning, November 15.
Sign up and view all conference information here.
New to ZOOM? Set up your free account and access the conference from your phone, computer or tablet. Or visit ZOOM’s how-to guide.

Exploring Peaches Grown by Southwestern Native Americans
2021-11-16 19:30 - 21:00 | OR
Exploring Peaches Grown by Southwestern Native Americans
Speaker:
Reagan Wytsalucy, Assistant Professor, Utah State University Extension

The ZOOM link will be emailed to NAFEX members and conference participants on Monday morning, November 15.
Sign up and view all conference information here.
New to ZOOM? Set up your free account and access the conference from your phone, computer or tablet. Or visit ZOOM’s how-to guide.

Permaculture Orchards for Changing Climates
2021-11-16 15:00 - 16:30 | OR
Permaculture Orchards for Changing Climates
Speakers:
Jacques Neukom, Neukom Family Farms
Keith Johnson, HeartBeet Farm and Permaculture Center
Andrew Millison, Oregon State University

The ZOOM link will be emailed to NAFEX members and conference participants on Monday morning, November 15.
Sign up and view all conference information here.
New to ZOOM? Set up your free account and access the conference from your phone, computer or tablet. Or visit ZOOM’s how-to guide.

Preserving our Heirloom Apple Heritage
2021-11-15 19:30 - 21:00 | OR
Preserving our Heirloom Apple Heritage
Speakers:
Tom Brown, Heritage Apples
Joanie Cooper, Temperate Orchard Conservancy
Harry Burton, Apple Luscious Organic Orchard
The ZOOM link will be emailed to NAFEX members and conference participants on Monday morning, November 15.
Sign up and view all conference information here.
New to ZOOM? Set up your free account and access the conference from your phone, computer or tablet. Or visit ZOOM’s how-to guide.

Getting Started in Fruit Growing: Tips from the Field
2021-11-15 15:00 - 16:30 | ZOOM
Getting Started in Fruit Growing: Tips from the Field
Speakers:
Susan Poizner, Orchard People
Larry Stephenson, Southern Cultured Orchards & Nursery
Sam Hubert, One Green World Nursery
The ZOOM link will be emailed to NAFEX members and conference participants on Monday morning, November 15.
Sign up and view all conference information here.
New to ZOOM? Set up your free account and access the conference from your phone, computer or tablet. Or visit ZOOM’s how-to guide.

NAFEX 2021 Virtual Conference
2021-11-15 - 2021-11-20 | ZOOM
Join NAFEX for Fruit Forward: Growing for Tomorrow, featuring six days of inspiring and informative online sessions, November 15-20, via ZOOM or by phone.
6 Days. 12 Sessions. 24 Speakers. View the entire conference lineup here.
Sessions run at Noon Pacific / 3 p.m. Eastern and at 4:30 p.m. Pacific / 7:30 p.m. Eastern each day.
Registration and Cost
Members: This live conference (and recordings) is FREE with for current NAFEX members. Members will receive email updates with conference notices and links. Not sure if your membership is current? Check the status of your NAFEX membership here.
Non-members: The conference is only $19 and you’ll receive full conference access plus member benefits for one year!
Conference Sponsor
The 2021 NAFEX conference is generously sponsored by One Green World Nursery.
