PRINCESS ANNE, MD – (January 25, 2018) – University of Maryland Extension educators are preparing to offer an informative fruit tree pruning workshop on Saturday, February 17, on the UMES campus from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The workshop is reserved for the novice as well as for experienced tree planters.
For anyone who owns fruit trees, or who are thinking of planting them, proper maintenance is essential to the overall health of the tree and the quality of the fruit that will one day be harvested. Workshop participants will get the best of both worlds in that they will receive classroom instruction as well as tours of the newly established UMES apple orchard and the mature orchard on M & C Vessey Farm in Somerset County. Among the presenters are Dr. Fnu Naveenkumar, UMES assistant professor of horticulture and extension specialist, and William Vessey, farm owner and operator, M & C Vessey Farm.
At each site, there will be live demonstrations on pruning techniques for tree canopy management. The experience at both orchards will help participants gain a better understanding of fruit crop cultivation and successful management as well as the pruning of newly planted and older established orchards. Other topics of interests will be covered as well, such as irrigation, fertigation, pest/disease identification and management.
The Fruit Tree Pruning Workshop is sponsored by the IFARMS Project, which is spearheaded by the UMES Small Farm Program, and the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education grant led by Naveenkumar.
Registration, which includes a box lunch and educational materials, costs $20 per person. To register, visit fruittreepruning2018.eventbrite.com
For more information, visit www.umessmallfarm.com, call 410-651-6070/6693 or email Program Coordinator Berran Rogers at blrogers@umes.edu.
About IFARMS:
IFARMS is a grant funded initiative implemented by the University of Maryland Eastern Shore Small Farm Program. Its overall goal is to provide access to resources and management solutions that will increase a farmer’s ability to start and maintain successful agricultural businesses. Program deliverables include educational workshops, field demonstrations, and mini bus tours.
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Suzanne Waters Street, agriculture communication specialist, UMES – University of Maryland Extension, 410-651-6084, sstreet@umes.edu.
