October 20, 2018
The results for the 2017 and 2018 club apple tastings in PDF form are now available for download. They are located in the research drop down menu.
If you see any errors please send your corrections to Mark at mfin@gci.net
Please plan to attend the APFGA general membership meeting on Thursday, December 13th, at 7:00 pm in the BP Energy Center, 1014 Energy Court, Anchorage, AK 99508 (southwest of main office tower – west of the Marriott) .
At 6:30 pm there will be refreshments and the opportunity to socialize before the meeting is called to order at 7:00 pm. Feel free to bring any cookies or light refreshments that you might like to share.
April 29, 2018
Do you have an apple or crab apple tree that produces apples that you don’t like? Do you have limited space but would like more varieties of apples? Then join us for Top-Working Demonstrations on Saturday, May 12, 2018 starting at 1:00 pm in the Valley.
Apple grower Dan Elliot will demonstrate how to prune and graft new varieties of apples onto mature trees. With these techniques you can gradually convert your existing trees to more desirable varieties, and/or add additional varieties to them.
Finally, a reminder about etiquette: No pets, unsupervised children, or non-members on tours (unless they are paying for the annual membership fee of $16 and bring their filled-in application form found on our website). Please wear appropriate footwear as the grounds may be uneven and, if wet, may be slippery. Of course no cuttings or other disturbances of our hosts’ property as we would like to be invited back again. Note: Please respect to our hosts by sticking to the schedule. Do not arrive early or come unescorted at another time. Thank you!
April 6, 2018
The Alaska Pioneer Fruit Growers Association (APFGA) will hold their annual Apple Grafting Workshop from 1:00-3:00 pm on Saturday, April 21, 2018 at the Spenard Church of Love, 3502 Spenard Rd, Anchorage. This workshop is open to the general public and provides free grafting instruction and apple scion wood with the purchase of at least one hardy rootstock. ($2 ea. members/$3 ea. non-members)
March 18, 2018
The annual APFGA pruning workshop will be held on Saturday, March 24 at 1:00 pm. The workshop will be led by the club’s master pruner, Dan Elliot. Pruning is essential to the health and vitality of fruit trees. This is the perfect opportunity to watch and learn sound pruning techniques, practice, and/or get a refresher course!
If the weather permits, we hope to do some pruning outside on the younger trees in addition to the mature trees in the greenhouse. So, come dressed accordingly, and bring your pruning shears and/or loppers if you can help prune or desire some guided practice.
March 3, 2018
You are cordially invited to the March APFGA general membership meeting on Thursday, March 8, at 6:30 pm in the BP Energy Center, 900 E. Benson Blvd (southwest of main office tower – west of the Marriot) .
Our evening program will be presented by Debbie Hinchey: Tree Science Applied to Buying, Planting, Pruning and Care of Fruit Trees. The description of the program is as follows:
There are many myths surrounding fruit production. As more research is done to test some long-held assumptions, a better understanding of best practices for fruit production is emerging. This will be a brief introduction into some of the science to help others understand what to do and when.
At 6:30 pm there will be refreshments and the opportunity to socialize before the meeting is called to order at 7:00 pm. Feel free to bring any cookies or light refreshments that you might like to share.
At the meeting, we will again have permanent metal plant tags and parafilm grafting tape for sale. The tags are 10 for $2, and the parafilm tape is 8 feet for $1. Bring dollar bills if you are interested in purchasing these items.
February 26, 2018
Add these dates to your calendar!
March 8 – Monthly meeting, with a presentation on Tree Science Applied to Fruit Trees
March 24 – Annual Pruning Workshop at Boyer’s Greenhouse: Get pruning tips and then help prune and clean up this pioneer fruit-growing establishment. No experience necessary.
April 21 – Grafting Workshop: Get Alaska-suitable rootstock and graft a favorite variety onto it!
February 16, 2018
January 15, 2018
You are cordially invited to our February general membership meeting on Thursday, February 15, at 6:30 pm in the BP Energy Center.
Please note the change of date from our usual meeting day. It was decided at the January membership meeting to change the meeting date to accommodate our presenter, Scott Lammers. Scott is the son of the famous Fairbanks orchard pioneer, Claire Lammers. Scott will present an overview of the current status of the Lammers orchard, and take questions on growing fruit in Fairbanks.
We will also have a visit from a beekeeper. She will talk briefly about what is involved in hosting a hive and is looking for two locations to place hives this summer.
At the meeting, we will have permanent metal plant tags and parafilm grafting tape for sale. The tags are 10 for $2, and the parafilm tape is 8 feet for $1. Bring dollar bills if you are interested in these items.
At 6:30 pm there will be refreshments and the opportunity to talk and socialize with other members before the meeting is called to order at 7:00 pm. Feel free to bring any cookies or light refreshments that you might like to share.
January 3, 2018
You are cordially invited to our first meeting of the year on Thursday, January 11, at 6:30 pm in the BP Energy Center. There will be refreshments and the opportunity to talk and socialize with other members before the meeting is called to order at 7:00 pm. Please bring any cookies or light refreshments that you might like to share.
The program for the meeting will be a presentation and discussion on growing plums in Alaska led by Gary Masog. Many of our members have been experimenting with plums. If you have experience with growing plums, Gary is most interested in having you share your knowledge at the meeting about what varieties you have had success with, and information about compatible varieties for pollination.