Green Horizons

May 5: Missouri Nut Growers’ Association Spring Grafting Meeting, near Collins, MO. This year’s outing will be at Sara Jean Peters’ First Fruits Farm. Sara Jean has several plantings of black walnuts which KSU Extension Nut Specialist Bill Reid will use to demonstrate various grafts. Following lunch and the annual exchange of scion wood, MU Extension horticulturist Patrick Byers will lead a tour of several alternative crop plantings, including elderberries, pawpaws, and Aronia. Coffee is served at 9:00 AM and the program begins at 9:30. Contact Sara Jean Peters, 417-275-4422 for details after April 1st or visit the MNGA web site at www.missourinutgrowers.org.

May 8: Missouri Nut Growers’ Association Spring Grafting EAST, near Washington, MO. MNGA is pleased to offer a second opportunity for individuals to learn grafting techniques. Vern and Bee Spaunhorst will host this session at their Heritage Valley Tree Farm. Vern and Bee are revamping their 10-acre pecan planting, replacing cultivars that are most subject to scab by grafting onto the stumps of cut trees. The outing will be held from 1:00 to 4:00 PM and KSU Extension Specialist Bill Reid will be demonstrating grafts. Contact Vern Spaunhorst for details at 646-239-7479 or visit the MNGA web site at www.missourinutgrowers.org.

May 11-12: Spring Missouri Walnut Council Meeting, Edina. The meeting will begin at 2:00 PM on Friday and 8:00 AM on Saturday; both will start at the Edina Community Center, 207 North 4th Street. Topics covered during the two-day event will be what to do with a mature stand of mixed mature hardwoods; how to manage young and newly-planted black walnut stands; what assistance is available through MDC and consulting foresters; and marketing and harvesting timber. For more information, contact Dennis Evans at 417-451-7862.

June 2: Missouri Tree Farm Conference, Hermann. The Heckman family will be hosting the 2012 Tree Farm Conference. Their farm is located 7 minutes north of Hermann in the scenic Missouri River Hills. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet Missouri Tree Farmers and other landowners interested in learning how to manage their woods. It will be an excellent chance for MOSAF members to promote the forestry profession. Walking tours will highlight forest ecology (one stop dramatically illustrates the difference between north-east vs south-west aspects), forest stand improvement, glade/savannah management, and pond management. For more information, contact Bob Ball at 855-843-3926, fwam.trees@gmail.com.

June 7-8: Comprehensive Elderberry Workshop and Farm Tour, Hartsburg, MO. Terry Durham invites you out to tour his elderberry farm in Hartsburg and attend a number of workshops focusing on the cultivation of elderberry crops. Guest speakers will cover topics ranging from the different varieties of elderberry cultivars to how to market the finished product. For more information, contact Contact Terry Durham at 573-999-3034, info@elderberrylife.com.