Polk Small Farms: Grafting fruit varieties for organic production

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Grafting fruit varieties for organic production

Bud and Graft Fruit Trees for Organic Production

Free upcoming webinar will explore regionally and locally adapted crops

Regionally and locally adapted fruit crops aren’t just a treat for the palate. Developing them can fill a number of needs – from providing a boon to organic fruit growers to helping detail-oriented farmers and nurserymen make a decent on-farm income.

National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) Horticulture Specialist Guy Ames will present a webinar addressing what it takes to develop fruit that’s adapted locally and regionally – and he’ll get hands-on with a discussion of grafting, budding, cuttings, and other forms of asexual fruit propagation.

The webinar, which is being offered by NCAT free of charge, will have plenty of time for participants to ask questions – general or about their own operations. And Guy will respond to any questions that aren’t answered during the webinar in the days following via email.

Webinar Title: "Budding and Grafting Fruit Varieties for Organic Production"

Date: August 29, 2013

Presenter: NCAT Horticulture Specialist Guy Ames

Time: 11 a.m. Central Daylight Time

To Register: Go online at https://attra.ncat.org/grafting_fruit

As a horticulture specialist at NCAT, Guy provides farmers, especially fruit growers, with the best information available to empower them to be the most environmentally sound growers they can be while maintaining a sustainable income.

He has a B.A. in History and English and an M.S. in Horticulture. In the past, Guy has been a professional nursery man and orchardist as well as a technical writer in the area of sustainable fruit production. In addition, he was a public school English teacher for 10 years.

Guy has had a busy year. Recently he and NCAT Specialist Robert Maggiani finished work on a new ATTRA publication, “Plums, Apricots, and Their Crosses: Organic and Low-Spray Production.” It focuses on organic and reduced-spray management options for disease and pest problems of plums, apricots, and their crosses (pluots, apriums, etc.). It also relates progress in broadening the practical climatic adaptability of the apricot. The publication discusses adding these fruits as specialty crops for small-scale, diversified farms and identifies marketing opportunities.

“Plums, Apricots, and Their Crosses: Organic and Low-Spray Production” is available to be downloaded free of charge on the NCAT ATTRA website at www.attra.ncat.org

The upcoming webinar will be recorded and archived on the ATTRA website as well.

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The National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service - ATTRA - was developed and is managed by the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT). The project is funded through a cooperative agreement with the United States Department of Agriculture's Rural Business-Cooperative Service.