Hit a workshop, love your fruit trees

A new program called Fruit for All is offering two workshops aimed at increasing fruit tree care skills.

One workshop will cover general principles and techniques, while the other will focus on older, neglected trees. The instructor for both workshops will be local expert Ron Lewis, who has more than 30 years’ experience growing fruit trees that are hardy for the north.

Both workshops are free for people willing to train to become members of tree care teams. This will involve further training over the next two years.

“This is the beginning of a long-term project to train community members to take care of fruit trees,” said Carrie Regenstreif, Fruit for All Program Manager at Eat Local Sudbury.

“We’ll be working with various groups to plant fruit trees in public spaces over the next few years and we’ll need help keeping those trees healthy and productive.”

For those who want to participate without the volunteer commitment, the cost is $25 for each workshop.

Proceeds go to Fruit for All, a non-profit program that connects people with surplus residential fruit to other people who can make good use of it. Volunteers pick the fruit, with a portion donated to food programs such as community kitchens and school breakfast programs.

Pruning Older/Neglected Trees takes place April 18 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., at 450 Morin Street in Sudbury. The Basic Fruit Tree Care workshop takes place May 6 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Eat Local Sudbury, 176 Larch St.

The workshops are made possible through grants from Ontario Trillium Foundation and Tree Canada’s Edible Trees program.

Phone 705-521-6717, ext. 105 for details.