Holistic Orchard Intensive

Hands-on Learning with the author of
The Holistic Orchard

This "organic apple everything" weekend with Michael Phillips at the farm inspires people to pursue their own orchard dreams. Come gain the practical insights needed to establish your own fruit planting based on the biological systems approach used here at Lost Nation Orchard.

Holistic orcharding involves a wide breadth of knowledge and timeliness, yet one fact stands clear -- we can have beautiful apples grown without chemical intervention. Sustainable agriculture works only when we have fun and get people involved with growing healthy food. Michael's workshops point the way for organic apple growers to meet their unique site challenges.

Michael will lead participants in a walk through the orchard season. He will discuss the key role understory management and soil health plays in an organic orchard, and look at varietal and rootstock choices. Tree planting, pruning, grafting, branch training, and trunk protection will be woven into our time together along with a look at righteous equipment for the small-scale orchard. Michael will also identify insect and disease dynamics from a holistic perspective aimed at achieving maximum diversity, pointing out a few of the culprits and beneficial allies on hand around bloom time. The weekend ends with a rambunctious wassail sure to kindle those hopes of offering the "good fruit" to one's own family and community.

photos by Frank Siteman

The 2020 Holistic Orchard Intensive will begin on Saturday morning, June 13, at 10 am and run through Sunday afternoon, June 14, till 4 pm. Meals will be included (lunch and dinner on Saturday; breakfast and lunch on Sunday) along with a cider tasting on Saturday evening. The cost for this orcharding weekend will be $325 per person.

May you walk in beauty and balance on the Mother until we meet again.

Saturday

10 AM
Introductions
Orchard Health
   Healthy plant metabolism
   Forest edge ecology
   Fungal duff management
   Compost wisdom
   Tree root cycles
Buzz on Biodiversity
   Plant connections
   Beneficial math
   Wild pollinators
Timely Thinning

1 PM LUNCH

2 PM
Insect Balance
   Points of vulnerability
   Organic tool box
   Borer diligence
Biological Mowing
   Scythe session
Developing a Fruit Tree
   Shaping the young tree
   Light space
   Tree observations

6:30 PM

CIDER TASTING

FARMHOUSE FEAST

Sunday

9 AM
Holistic Disease Management
   Fungal progression
   Plant immune function
   Competitive colonization
   Bacterial riffs
   Cuticle defense
   Fatty acid knockdown
   Brix notions
Spray Equipment & Nuance
   Proper coverage & timing
   Backpack application
   Pak Tank demonstration Grafting Overview
   Rootstock choices
   Nursery management
   Top-working
   Multi-variety tree
Mammalian Tales

Noon LUNCH

1 PM
Soil Fertility
Varietal Rundown
Holistic Compendium
Q&A

4 PM WASSAIL CEREMONY