Upcoming events on Mercer Island!

Hello fellow Islanders. It may be chilly outside, but things are really heating up on the sustainability front.

·         IslandVision has a new Facebook page! We invite you to look us up at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Island-Vision/150088098365545
·         Leap for Green is fast approaching! The big event is on Saturday April 16th at the Mercer Island Community Center. We have some amazing things planned this year. We hope you can join us.
·         It is never too late to start thinking about our beloved Mercer Island Farmer’s Market. Opening day is Sunday June 12th. This year, the market day has been extended an additional hour. Vendors will be open for business at 10 AM. For more info, visit http://www.mifarmersmarket.org/welcome/
·         This coming Monday, February 28th an innovative new Island sustainability group called Transition Initiative Mercer Island (TIMI) is sponsoring a free community event moderated by Callie Ridolfi. Please join TIMI for their second in a series of films with discussion designed to help us create a healthier and more resilient community. This month, TIMI will feature David Brancaccio’s award winning film entitled “Fixing the Future” which highlights many Northwest innovations. Snacks and popcorn will be provided.

Place:
Emmanuel Episcopal Church
4400 86th Ave. SE
Mercer Island, WA

Time: 6:30-9:00 PM (film starts at 7:00 PM)


To learn more about IslandVision and our mission to encourage and support sustainable practices on Mercer Island, please visit our website at www.islandvision.org.
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Learn all about your fruit trees with City Fruit!

City Fruit will have a booth at our LEAP FOR GREEN FAIR this year on Mercer Island 

 

Leap for Green will be at the Community Center on Mercer Island on Saturday April 16th... mark your calendars!

It's February and time to oil up your pruners and dust off your garden boots.  

Fruit tree tips:   

• #1 -  Time to prune!  Don't take off a lot of wood, but tidy up your fruit trees and prune with fruit in mind.  
• #2 - Buy and plant. Now's the time to find bare root fruit trees in your local nursery. 
• #3 - Take a class and learn more.  See below.

Oldest apple tree: Last weekend I visited the oldest apple tree in the northwest, planted in 1826 by the Hudson Bay Company settlers at Fort Vancouver beside the Columbia River.  185 years old.  It puts things in perspective.   

City Fruit Events and Classes
City People-City Fruit:  City People's Garden Store in Madison Park sells bare root fruit trees (and other fruits and vegetables).  City Fruit and City People's are excited to co-sponsor some free fruit tree classes in the garden store this February.  Class size is limited, so register by contacting City People's at:  erincpgs@gmail.com or 206-324-0737.
Feb 19:  How to Plant Fruit Trees - 11 am - noon.  Taught by Jana Dilley, certified arborist and staff of City of Seattle Office of Sustainability and Environment.
Feb 19:  Best Fruits for Northwest Gardens -  12 - 12:30 pm.  Taught by Gail Savina, director, City Fruit
Feb 26:  Fruit Tree Pruning Basics  - 2 - 3:15 pm.  Taught by Ingela Wanerstrand, owner Green Darner Garden Design.

The following City Fruit classes cost $15 for members/$20 non-members.  Register by following the link or sending a check to City Fruit, PO Box 28577, Seattle 98118.

Feb 12, 10 am - noon   Fruit Tree Pruning: Demo and Mentoring.  This is a chance to prune fruit trees in a West Seattle home orchard under the guidance of John Reardon, a home orchardist and former vice president of the Seattle Tree Fruit Society.  Register by mail or contact City Fruit at info@cityfruit.org . Registrants will be informed of the location.

March 12, 10 am - noon.  Grafting New Fruit onto Existing Fruit Trees.   Learn how to do a whip graft, cleft graft, bud graft and pleach. Greg Giuliani grew up on a Snoqualmie Valley Farm with a 1930's orchard.  He learned to graft in order to re-create heritage fruit varieties.

Mason Bees: We turned people away from Dave Hunter's popular mason bee class on Jan 29 and are considering holding another class.  If you are interested, email info@cityfruit.org .

Other events and classes: 
Feb 5   Winter Vineyard Care. Snohomish County Extension, Silvana.  www.snohomish.wsu.edu/ag/workshops/viticulture2011.pdf
Feb 12  Plant Amnesty Prune-A-Thon.  Sky Nursery.  Free pruning demonstrations all day. www.plantamnesty.org or 206-783-9813
Feb 12  Grafting Techniques, Lynnwood. With Greg Giuliani, Gil Schreiber and Bill Davis.  Seattle Tree Fruit Society. Feb 26  Pruning work party with coach/mentor, Holy Cross Orchard in Bellevue.  jkftahiti@comcast.net  425-401-9337
Feb 26  Dormant Fruit Tree Pruning, Sultan. With Gary Moulton. WSU Snohomish County Extension.  Register at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/136751
Mar 5    Plant Amnesty's Fruit Tree Pruning Field Day,  Danny Woo Community Garden, Seattle. Lectures and pruning demos. www.plantamnesty.org or 206-783-9813.
Mar 5    Alleycat Acres Ride Hard! Grow Forth!  60-mile bike ride to benefit the urban farming collective.  To help: http://bit.ly/aaride
Mar 19  Field Trip to Home Orchard Society's Fruit Propation Fair - the largest scion exchange on the West Coast. Seattle Tree Fruit Society. Call Lori at 206-715-4149 or lorineb@mindspring.com

Want more?  Check out the Seattle Tree Fruit Society calendar .

Seattle Youth Garden Works is looking to hire a Farm Coordinator.  Email sygw@seattletilth.org .

Orchard Stewards in Seattle Parks:  More than 30 community stewards caring for fruit trees at five Seattle Parks have embarked on a series of workshops to learn about fruit tree care.  The first workshop, Fruit Tree Biology, was held last week, and we move on to Fruit Tree Pruning the end of February.

Thanks to everyone who joined or renewed membership with City Fruit in January!  It was a record month for us, membership-wise, and we are thrilled. Your memberships go directly to support this year's fruit harvest.  Benefits to you -- beside the satisfaction of supporting a good cause -- include a free City Fruit class, reduced fees on all classes -- and now we are tax deductible.  For those of you who haven't joined us yet, use the attached membership form or go to www.cityfruit.org .

That's it for February.  Time to get outside.  And remember to follow us at our Blog (http://cityfruit.org/blog/) on Twitter (http://twitter.com/cityfruit ) and on Facebook.

Gail