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Free workshop series will offer information on growing, managing apple orchard

MSU in partnership with Missoula and Ravalli County Extension offices will host a free four-part series on beginning and managing an apple orchard in Montana.

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News from Montana State University

BOZEMAN – The MSU Western Agricultural Research Center in partnership with Missoula and Ravalli County Extension offices will host a free four-part series on beginning and managing an apple orchard in Montana, Dec. 14 through March 14. The series is free and open to the public and is funded with support from the Montana Department of Agriculture’s Specialty Crop Grant program to enhance apple production in Montana through research, education and marketing.

The first event in the series, “The Business of Being an Orchardist,” will be held Thursday, Dec. 14 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Missoula County Extension office at 2825 Santa Fe Court in Missoula. The workshop will cover the basic economic considerations for establishing and managing an apple orchard in Montana. Additional topics will include long-term land lease agreements as alternatives to buying or selling an orchard, creative financing options for starting an orchard or value-added business. The workshop will also offer opportunities to talk with cider makers, established orchardists and produce buyers about what cultivars are in demand and how to sell apples. Speakers and panelists include: Clark Seavert, agricultural economist at Oregon State University; Julie Foster, director of Ravalli County Economic Development Authority; Michael Billingsley, owner of Billingsley Orchards and Western Cider; Lee McAlpine, owner of Montana CiderWorks; Dave Prather, general manager of the Western Montana Growers Co-op, Kathee Dunham of Sophie’s Orchard and Al Pernichele of Frost Top Orchard. Attendees are encouraged to register by contacting Katrina Mendrey at 406-961-3025 or emailing Katrina.mendrey@montana.edu. A $5 registration donation is suggested.

The second event in the series, “Establishing a Montana Orchard,” will be held Thursday, Feb. 8 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the WARC, 580 Quast Lane in Corvallis. This workshop will give participants a foundational knowledge to begin designing a hard cider or dessert apple orchard. Topics covered will include site selection, plant material, orchard design, tree planting and care, and considerations for installing an efficient irrigation system. Speakers include: Kristine Handley, civil engineer with the Natural Resources Conservation Service; Katrina Mendrey, orchard program coordinator at WARC and Zach Miller, superintendent of WARC.

On Saturday, Feb. 24 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., the third workshop in the series, “Pruning Fruit Trees in Montana,” will be presented by MSU Ravalli County Extension in Hamilton. The workshop will feature certified arborists and extension professionals in a hands-on outdoor pruning workshop. Participants will have the opportunity to learn various techniques for pruning trees in different stages of development and conditions. Participants are encouraged to bring their own pruning tools. Registration is encouraged before Feb. 20. To RSVP, contact Ravalli County Extension at 406-375-6611 or email Patrick Mangan at pmangan@rc.mt.gov.

The fourth workshop in the series, “Integrated Pest Management in Montana Apple Orchards,” will be held Wednesday, March 14 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Western Agricultural Research Center, 580 Quast Lane in Corvallis. Participants will learn how to manage common apple pests using integrated pest management techniques. Topics will include sustainable management of fire blight, identifying and controlling common Montana apple insect pests and new insects, as well as controlling unwanted vegetation in apple orchards. Speakers include; Ken Johnson, professor of botany and plant pathology at Oregon State University; Laurie Kerzicnik, entomologist with the MSU Schutter Diagnostic Lab; and Zach Miller, WARC superintendent.

For more information about the workshop series, or to register, contact Katrina Mendrey at Katrina.mendrey@montana.edu or call 406-961-3025. To learn more about apple production in Montana and apple related events visit www.mtapples.org.

 

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