Interested in growing fruit trees in DC? This class will cover all the fruit trees that can be grown in DC and how to maintain them organically. This class will cover pests, diseases, management practices, harvesting techniques, and a short intro to pruning.
Teacher Bio:
Josh Singer is the DPR Community Garden Specialist. He works to build new gardens, establish garden support systems, advocate for food security, and create garden education throughout the District. Josh is also the Co-Founder and Executive Director to Wangari Gardens, a 3 acre garden park. Josh is a certified arborist, master gardener, master composter, Bumba Apiarist, licensed teacher, and has a cerftificate in Permacutlure Design and EcoCity Farms Urban Gardening .
September sees some wind-down in the garden and an upswing in idle hands for foraging at the farm. Black Walnuts, Chinese and American Chestnuts, Autumn Olive, Nannyberry and Paw Paws are all having their moment! There are so many delicious things we could make like Roasted Chestnut Dukkha, Nannyberry Spiked Water Kefir, Rosy Autumn Olive Muffins, Black Walnut Bitters – and what the heck do you do with Paw Paws? A good pair of hiking shoes and gloves will find you deep in a foragers haul.
Facilitator:
Lacey Walker manages the education garden and builds community programs at Fox Haven Learning Center, but considers her true career to be that of a lifelong student. Her studies include herbalism, farm based education for adults and children, plant based cuisine, meditation, caring for and expanding the troop of ferment “children” she raises for gut health, the science of soil and composting, the mysterious life of companion plants, monthly wanderings to new corners of the country and the indispensable, incomparable joy of community potlucking.
Lacey engages with her passion for writing by authoring Fox Haven’s monthly contribution to The Environment is You in the Frederick News Post and can sometimes be seen toting her camera around, a throwback to her time in art school pursuing a BFA in Photography at Shepherd University. More often these days she likes to keep her hands free for playing in the dirt.
Todd Brethauer, USBG Science Education Volunteer
From their glorious spring blossoms that light up our landscapes to the tasty fruit harvested in late summer through late autumn, pome fruits play an important part of our horticultural and nutritional palettes. Spend an hour learning about the origin of the apple and where you can find a forest of its wild ancestors. Find out how modern genome sequencing techniques are clarifying the evolutionary history of these fruits and providing tools for breeders confronting insect pests and diseases that affect the trees. – See more at: https://www.usbg.gov/events/2016/05/21/lecture-pome-fruit-apples-pears-quince-botany-history-and-production#sthash.bJ3U5Hgp.dpuf
Pre-registration required.
