AK Pioneer Fruit Growers Association

About Us

Welcome to the Alaska Pioneer Fruit Growers Association (APFGA)

Founded in 1985, the Alaska Pioneer Fruit Growers Association became a 501(c)(5) Non Profit Corporation in 1994.

Any person(s) or family interested in the objectives of the Association and who pays membership dues can become a member.

MISSION

The Alaska Pioneer Fruit Growers Association shares in and benefits from the personal experience of successful fruit growing in Alaska and seeks to educate any person(s) interested in fruit growing.

GOALS

• Locate, test and preserve superior or special fruit, berry and nut varieties relevant to Alaska.
• Identify unique cultural methods/materials, propagation techniques, fruit breeding and grafting procedures, adaptations of species and cultivars and all other aspects of fruit growing.
• Evaluate various fruit cultivars for hardiness in our local climate.
• Provide instruction to and exchange information with members and anyone interested in fruit growing techniques and cultural practices.
• Assist in group ordering of materials.
• Promote communication and friendship between members and other fruit growing enthusiasts.
• Encouraging friends and neighbors to establish their own fruit trees, bushes and shrubs.
• Provide assistance to the Cooperative Extension Service to the extent possible.

OTHER INFORMATION

We have monthly meetings, annual grafting and pruning workshops in the spring, orchard tours during the summer months, apple tasting and apple cider pressing in the fall, and winter meetings. We also have occasional guest speakers. Many long time members and some of the original Pioneer Founders attend the meetings and are a valued treasure of information. We publish a newsletter approximately three times during the year.

The APFGA encourages members to join the North American Fruit Explorers (NAFEX) a national organization, which publishes a quarterly magazine called Pomona.