Thanks to the hundreds of fruit growers who gathered online for an exciting series of eight interactive sessions with some of North America’s leading fruit growers, breeders and foragers. It was a great conference!
The NAFEX 2025 Virtual Conference featured three days of inspiring and informative online sessions, Nov. 6-8, via ZOOM and by phone.
Keynote Address
Author, forager and wildcrafter Pascal Baudar led us on an exploration of the edible landscape including foraging, fermenting and making natural wine and ciders with wild fruits.
Drawing on his bestselling books like The New Wildcrafted Cuisine, The Wildcrafting Brewer, and Wildcrafted Fermentation, as well as his deep engagement with local terroir, Baudar showcased how sometimes under-appreciated native, non-native and invasive fruits can be preserved, fermented, brewed, and crafted into vinegars, sodas, condiments, and other libations.
Annual Meeting & Member Show and Tell
The conference included the 2025 NAFEX Annual Meeting and Member Show and Tell on Friday, Nov. 7.
Ask Questions in Real Time or Watch the Recorded Sessions
All sessions were recorded and posted within a few weeks of the conference. Real time participants had the opportunity to ask questions, engage with our speakers, and share information with fellow fruit growers.
Free with Your $19 NAFEX Membership
Access to all of the conference recordings is included with your $19 NAFEX membership. Not currently a member? Join or renew today.
Generously Sponsored by:
Conference Schedule
Download and Print the Conference Schedule
(Add a Reminder to your Calendar)
THURSDAY, NOV. 6
(Two Sessions)
SESSION 1
1 pm PST / 4 pm EST
Haskaps: The Superfruit Revolution
Haskaps, or Honeyberries, have gained a growing popularity due in part to their “superfruit” status. Just think of a better blueberry, as they contain high antioxidant levels and a unique flavor profile. Long grown commercially in Japan, they have become increasingly popular in Canada and parts of the US.
Quite similar in image to a blue berry but they ripen two weeks before other fruit, winter hardy to -50c, have a six-week harvest window, depending on varieties. These bushes have become popular additions to the small scale market places; farmers markets, U-Pick operations, and fine restaurants alike. Now with larger acres planted, they are breaking into larger scale production and processing.
Andrew Rosychuk of Rosy Farms and Haskap Alberta Association will explore the history of haskaps across the world and their entry into North America, touch on breeding and research, discuss important elements for successfully growing, and compare the growth of the haskap industry to that of other cold hardy fruits including saskatoon berries and blueberries, as it is evolving quickly.
Speaker:
Andrew Rosychuk, Rosy Farms and Haskap Alberta Association, AB, CAN
Moderator:
Chris Homanics, NAFEX VP
SESSION 2
3:30 pm PST / 6:30 pm EST
Making Successful Community Orchards
Community orchards are transforming neighborhoods across the country by providing fresh fruit, green spaces, and opportunities for connection.
This panel brings together three leaders with deep experience in building and sustaining these orchards in diverse contexts from Philadelphia Orchard Project, Denver Urban Gardens, and The Giving Grove, which oversees a national network that supports orchards across the U.S., offering scalable models and resources to help neighborhoods grow and maintain thriving, productive spaces.
Together, the panelists will share practical insights, lessons learned, and strategies for creating orchards that not only grow fruit, but also foster healthier, more connected communities.
Speakers:
Ashley Vernon, The Giving Grove
Linda Appel-Lipsius, Denver Urban Gardens
Phil Forsyth, Philadelphia Orchard Project; USA
Moderator:
Ryan Watson, NAFEX Director
FRIDAY (Morning), NOV. 7
(Two Sessions)
SESSION 1
8 am PST / 11 am EST
Foraged Apples: Science, Cider and Lore
How can foraged and wild apples shape the orchards and ciders of tomorrow?
All cultivated apple varieties are the product of careful human selection and horticultural propagation. Aside from intentional breeding projects, many of these selections begin with the discovery of a wilding apple of particularly useful quality.
With the technologies of plant breeding so far advanced, what is the worth of a wilding apple?
Drawing on fieldwork in New York and New England, Dr. Maria Kennedy will discuss the research and outcomes of a collaborative research project with Dr. Gregory Peck of Cornell University, which investigates the impact of a renewed interest in wild, foraged, and feral fruits amongst contemporary cider makers and growers.
Speaker:
Dr. Maria Kennedy, Rutgers University, Foraged Fruit Project, NJ, USA
Moderator:
Ryan Watson, NAFEX Director
SESSION 2
10:30 am PST / 1:30 pm EST
Weather-Wise Orchards
Changing weather patterns have a profound impact on our ability to grow fruits. Pam Knox, State Agricultural Climatologist at the University of Georgia, will provide an outlook on the upcoming El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle and its potential impacts on fruit production nationwide.
She will highlight expected winter and spring weather patterns, including chill accumulation, frost risk, and regional variability.
Attendees will also learn how to get involved in citizen science weather programs that contribute valuable data to the broader climate community.
Speaker:
Pam Knox, University of Georgia Weather Network, GA, USA
Moderator:
Josh Fuder, NAFEX Director
FRIDAY (Afternoon), NOV. 7
(Two Sessions)
SESSION 3
1 pm PST / 4 pm EST
Growing Stone Fruits in Cold Climates
Learn how to push the limits to grow stone fruits in cold climates.
Minnesota fruit grower and NAFEX member Dan Sheild has trialed over 60 varieties of peaches and will share his inspiring high tunnel project that has allowed them to survive in temperatures as low as -36°.
Dan’s goal is to create a commercially viable system model that allows peaches of high-quality to be sold throughout the upper Midwest.
Speaker:
Dan Sheild, Stone Creek Farms, MN, USA
Moderator:
Kris Klueg Heeter, NAFEX President
SESSION 4
3:30 pm PST / 6:30 pm EST
NAFEX Annual Meeting and Member Show & Tell
Join us as we take a brief look back at 2025, look ahead to 2026, and review our Board of Directors candidates.
Bring your stories about fruit growing for the always-fun member Show and Tell. Share your successes, challenges and failures. All stories are welcome – as are new members.
Speakers:
NAFEX Members – Join us for the Show and Tell!
Moderator:
Kris Klueg Heeter, NAFEX President
SATURDAY, NOV. 8
(Two Sessions)
SESSION 1
10:30 am PST / 1:30 pm EST
Red Mulberry Search and Rescue
Red mulberry (Morus rubra) produces delicious, complex fruit and shows strong potential for both backyard and commercial production — yet they’re slowly disappearing as invasive white mulberries (Morus alba) threaten to hybridize them out of existence.
Working with a team of researchers, Weston Lombard led the Mulberry Search and Rescue Contest to crowdsource pure rubra specimens, DNA-test them, and identify the best specimens for potential distribution. Early results are promising: pure or nearly pure red mulberries still exist, and with preservation and propagation, this important native fruit may yet thrive.
Join Weston to learn more about this ongoing research and how to grow and preserve red mulberry in your orchard.
Speakers:
Weston Lombard, Solid Ground Farm
Dr. Nigel Daniels, Genomics Researcher, Ohio, USA
Moderator:
Chris Homanics, NAFEX Vice President
SESSION 2
1 pm PST / 4 pm EST
Foraging and Wildcrafting with Wild Fruits
Explore the flavor, creativity, and terroir of wild fruits with author, forager and wildcrafter Pascal Baudar.
Pascal will lead us on an exploration of the edible landscape including foraging, fermenting and making natural wine and ciders with wild fruits.
Drawing on his bestselling books like The New Wildcrafted Cuisine, The Wildcrafting Brewer, and Wildcrafted Fermentation, as well as his deep engagement with local terroir, Baudar will showcase how sometimes under-appreciated native, non-native and invasive fruits can be preserved, fermented, brewed, and crafted into vinegars, sodas, condiments, and libations.
Join us for this special closing keynote session!
Speaker:
Pascal Baudar, author, forager and wildcrafter; Outdoor Skills; California, USA
Moderator:
Leslie Wade, NAFEX Member
2025 Speaker Bios
Conference Details
Session Times
Thursday, Nov. 6 (2 sessions) – 4 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Eastern
Friday, Nov 7 (4 sessions) – 11 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 4 p.m., 6:30 p.m. Eastern
Saturday, Nov. 8 (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 Sponsors
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.
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.
Fedco is a Maine-based worker/consumer-owned cooperative specializing in gardening, farming and orcharding supplies from their warehouses in Clinton, ME. They update our offerings three times a year when they release their famous and award-winning print catalogs. You can download their latest catalogs or request a printed copy today.
Cummins Nursery a small fruit tree nursery in New York apple country. Since 1994, they have shipped trees to orchards of all sizes in the Lower 48 states. Are you a backyard hobbyist, craft cidermaker, or professional grower? You can order fruit trees from their online inventory. You can also order rootstocks and scionwood to graft your own trees.