Author Archives: tami

It’s a Triple Play Farm and Garden Tour for this month’s Bainbridge Island Fruit Club meeting!

Join BIFC on Thursday, July 21 and have guided tours of The Bainbridge Island Blueberry Farm, Ron Peltier and Polly Longworth’s amazing orchard next door and the confusingly diverse plantings from our own Jim Ewing at the Mad Valley Micro-farm also next door!

Let’s gather around 6:00 pm at the Blue Berry Farm for a great evening out. Tours will start around 6:30. Bring the family and bring a picnic. Mostly, bring your questions for Stacy Lewars at the blueberry farm, she is providing the use of her picnic and socializing facilities and there will be a number of people available to answer your questions. Plus (depending on availability) the blueberry farm will be open late for a U-Pick opportunity. Get your hands on some of the best blueberries anywhere and have a blast!

• Location and parking: 11054 N Madison Ave NE, Bainbridge Island, WA 98110 (near Valley Road)
• Time: 6/6:30pm – 8:30pm

Hope to see you there!!
Tami

Here is a fantastic link to an handout on the Spotted Winged Drosophila (SWD)

This handout is also on the Resources page under Fruit Pests.
All Seasons Approach to Monitoring and Managing SWD Webinar Handout

This month’s club meeting is our annual fruit tree grafting event lead by Darren Murphy.

We will start this meeting a half hour early because there is so much to fit in but come when you can!

• Date – Thursday, March 17, 6:30-9 p.m.
• Location – The Bainbridge Grange Hall – 10340 Madison Avenue NE., Bainbridge Island.

This is our annual grafting event…in addition to hands on instruction, the club will have available a large selection of heirloom and more modern apple, pear, plum, and cherry scion wood cuttings and small rootstocks (up to 2 feet long) for grafting. Members and non-members/guests can also bring bare rooted or potted fruit trees (e.g., Costco specials for example) for grafting their own multi-variety trees! There is a small fee for club provided rootstock ($3 to $5 dollars) depending on variety/size, with scion wood free for club members and $1 dollar per cutting for non-members. Each scion wood cutting is generally suitable for up to 3 individual grafts.

We will also be holding a plant sale (based on member donations) to help raise funds for the club. Members are encouraged to bring their extra seeds, vegetable starts, flowers, berry plants, and fruit trees for sale to other club members or non-members/guests. Mason bee tubes will also be available for those aiming to improve their pollination this spring.

Bainbridge Island Fruit Club hopes to see you at this meeting!

Handouts –
What Trees Can Be Grafted 1-15
Proper Storage of Scion Wood 1-15
General Grafting Information 1-15
Darren Murphy’s Bio –
Darren has been a member of the Western Cascade Fruit Society and Peninsula Fruit Club for nearly 15 years. He was also a longtime member of the BI 4-H club and Farmers Market. Two years ago, he helped spearhead the establishment of the Bainbridge Island Fruit Club…with the goal of bringing fruit growing tips to the greater BI and Northern Kitsap area. Darren has fruit growing in his blood. His Great Great Grandfather William Shincke discovered a chance mutation in his orchard in the 1890s…that later became known as the “Olympia Apple.”

January’s meeting notes are here: January

Hi this is a friendly reminder this Thursday is our Fruit Club meeting.  7pm this Thursday January 21st, at the Bainbridge Grange Hall.  See full message below.
Incase you miss some of the emails flying lately, I’ve incorporated them into this email one way or another.  I hope it makes sense…

Besides the lecture by Chuck Holland we will conduct Club Business and Elections.  Please consider volunteering for one of the positions listed below. (See Footnote *3 at bottom of this email.)

Earlier this week Darren sent us: Collection, Labeling and Preserving Fruit Tree Scions Guild.  I’ve created a link for it here:  Collection, Labeling and Preserving Fruit Tree Scions Guild.

At the bottom of this email see the items to be addressed at the meeting on Thursday besides the Lecture.
Membership reminder ( see footnote *2 below )
Bainbridge Island Fruit Club (BIFC)–State of the Club and Upcoming Club Elections ( see footnote *3 below)
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This Thursday’s Meeting Info –

Dear Bainbridge Island Fruit Club,

We are well into January already and for this month’s Fruit Club meeting we actually have a timely short topic scheduled.
Chuck Holland will give a 30 +/-  minute presentation on pruning fundamentals for winter time pruning followed by a Q&A.  I know I have raspberries that need pruning so I’m looking forward to hearing his thoughts on this and what else will benefit from a winter time pruning.

After Chuck’s presentation we will have a break (feel free to bring a snack to share) then roll into administrative items.  We would like to discuss continuing and new enrollments, feel like taking more of a part in the club?  There are openings for VP, Secretary (very much needed), and a Board members!!  Darren will talk about the responsibilities of each position and how you can help the club become stronger.  We would also like to hear suggestions on topics or speakers you would like to hear this year that will help you and us become better fruit producers!!

Here is Chuck’s Bio –

Past Secretary of the Western Cascade Fruit Society and Seattle Tree Fruit Society member.
Past President of the Western Washington Fruit Research Foundation that serves the WSU Mount Vernon Research Station
Former Edmonds Community College Horticulture Department Part Time Instructor on fruit growing and fruit tree pruning
Former guest lecturer to Garden Clubs and the Northwest Flower and Garden Show
Home orchardist

We are a young club, last year was great, I am looking forward to making 2016 even better with you!
Cheers!
Tami

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*2 – Membership reminder   Just a friendly reminder that if you wish to renew in the Bainbridge Island Fruit Club (BIFC)–which I certainly hope you will–we will need your annual membership dues.  For those enrolling just in the BIFC chapter, it is $20.  For those already enrolled in another sister WCFS Chapter, it is $12.  Since our treasurer position is now vacant, please mail your checks to the below address, care of Bainbridge Island Fruit Club.  You can also make payment at our next club meeting on Thursday (1/21/16),7-9pm, at the BI Grange Hall.

Membership dues cover an entire family…so only one payment is needed for couples or families/children.

Make Check out to:

Bainbridge Island Fruit Club
762 Klickitat Place, NE
Bainbridge Island, WA  98110

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*3 – Bainbridge Island Fruit Club (BIFC)–State of the Club and Upcoming Club Elections
Hi Everyone,

I feel like the last year has been a bit of a whirlwind…with a lot accomplished for our new club.  For starters, we put together a club charter…with most of the key positions filled, got accepted into the overall Western Cascade Fruit Society (WCFS), received our non-tax status, and enrolled a total of 26 members.  On the activities front, held three garden/local farm tours and had a number of wonderful speakers, including such topics as micro-farming, scion wood preparation/grafting, watering systems, bee keeping, fruit diseases/pests (i.e., SWD), and cider making, as well as several great DVDs on anthracnose and pruning.  We also participated in the BI Harvest Fair…sponsoring a fruit tasting booth as well as made significant progress in reaching agreement on how we might help the Friends of the Farm in caring for the Johnson Farm Orchard.

All of this took some time, effort, and persistence from an “all volunteer” organization…and I want to thank everyone who has help in making this our new club such a success!

As we move into this new year, one of the topics that will be addressed at our first meeting on 1/21/16…is enrollment and elections.  For many of you that have been part of the club for over 1 year, you will need to pay a re-enrollment fee of $20 for the new year ($12 dollars if you are a member of another WCFS chapter).  Your dues go far in helping cover the rent we pay for the Grange Hall, as well as printing supplies and speaker fees.  I will be sending out a separate email to those members whose annual membership are due.

As for elections, most of our club officer positions must be voted upon annually (President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Communication Director…with board members elected to 3-year terms).  Both the VP and Treasurer have indicated they will not be seeking reelection.  I am willing to stay on as President and I believe Tami Meader is as well as the Club’s Communications Director…but all the other positions are open as well as one of the three board members.

I want to ask each of you to please consider volunteering for one of these remaining vacancies.  I recently joked with one member…that these positions shouldn’t be seen as life-time commitments.  Just a one-year stint would be greatly appreciated.  Our departing VP and Treasurer both made significant contributions in their year with the club.  Moreover, to be honest, it will be difficult to continue this club without most of the key positions being filled…let alone build upon the successes from our first year.

The following entails a description of each position, as described in the club’s by-laws:

The president shall preside over all meetings of the club and meetings of the board of directors at which he/she may be present; shall coordinate the work of the officers and committees of the club in order that its purpose may be promoted; and shall perform such other duties as may be described in these by-laws or assigned by the club or the board of directors.

The vice president shall act as an aide to the president and shall perform the duties of the president in the absence or inability of that officer to so act.

The secretary shall record the minutes of all meetings of the club and the board of directors; shall submit to the proper officers, board members, or committee chairpersons all communications.

The communications director shall be responsible for providing input to the WCFS and BIFC websites as well as alerting local media of upcoming club events/activities.

The treasurer shall have custody of all funds of the club and shall keep a full and accurate account of the receipts and expenditures; shall make disbursements in accordance with the approved budget as authorized by the club or the board of directors; shall present a financial statement at every meeting of the club and at other times when requested by the board of directors and shall make a full report at the annual (November) meeting; shall be responsible for the maintenance of such books of account and records as conform to the requirements of the by-laws; shall make no disbursement of funds in payment of any non-budget claim or bill against the club without first presenting the same to the board of directors for approval.

Thanks again everyone for your help and support this last year. ☺
If you have any questions about any of the positions, please feel free email or call me (206/855-9414).

Darren
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Here is an interesting article on a new and improved “better” apple —
Beyond the Honeycrisp Apple

November’s club meeting – –

we are excited to have Tom Mueller as a guest speaker.  Tom is an extreme home cider maker and willing to share his expertise, trial and errors with us!

•Thursday, November 19 at 7pm (note the new start time!)

•Location:  Bainbridge Island Grange -10340 Madison Ave NE, Bainbridge Island, WA 98110

Tom has been home brewing and making cider and fruit wines for 20 years (when he first moved to BainbridgeIsland).  He has been involved in backyard fruit growing and was on the board of Western Washington Fruit Growers Foundation for two years.  There they worked with WSU in Mt. Vernon to grow various types of fruit trees and bushes to see what worked best in our climate.

Tom plans on talking to us about how he got into making cider and how he learned the process.  He’ll go thru the equipment needed and go over the basic recipe for making cider.  He’ll talk about various apple and pear varieties that have worked for him and how to mix different varieties to get more complex ciders.  He’ll also tell us what works and he’ll share some failures and surprises!

Join us for what looks to be an enjoyable evening!

~Tami

July’s meeting was well attended and less of a meeting and more of a garden tour & social. We toured Darren’s lovely Garden were we saw multiple varieties of plumb & apple trees, grapes, raspberries, corn, cabbage, flowers and chickens! I’m sure I missed something there was really so much! We discussed anthracnose and SWD identification and solutions then enjoyed some samples from his yard. Many of us brought treats from our gardens to share. It was a very enjoyable time.

We hope to do this again before the summer ends. If you have a garden you would like to share with the club let Darren know!

Happy Gardening!!
Tami