Upcoming Interest Group Meetings
NAFEX Virtual Interest Group Meetings and workshops are held at 7:30 PM EST / 6:30 PM Central / 4:30 PM Pacific, on the last Tuesday of each month (unless that day is a holiday and we’ll meet a week earlier). Participate via ZOOM video or call in by phone.
November is reserved for our Virtual Conference and Annual Meeting. December provides a well-deserved holiday for our volunteer team.
Past Interest Group Meetings – Watch the Recordings and Download Resource Files
October 29, 2025 / Growing Tropicals in Temperate Zones
September 30, 2025 / Cultivating Connections: Fall Harvest Show and Tell
August 26, 2025 / Preserving Heritage Fruit Trees
July 29, 2025 / Orchard Resilience Through Homegrown Soil Fertility
June 24, 2025 / USDA Pomological Paintings: History and Uses
May 27, 2025 / Site Planning for Orchards
April 29, 2025 / Cold Hardy Fig Production
March 25, 2025 / Starting Your Own Small Nursery Business
February 25, 2025 / Townhall Meetup on Grafting, Rootstock and More
January 28, 2025 / Townhall Meetup on Winter Scion Collection and Pruning
October 29, 2024 / Pollination for Production with Dr. Rufus Isaacs
September 26, 2024 / Food Forests – Community Orchards
August 27, 2024 / Concepts for Understanding How Fruit Trees Work
July 30, 2024 / Beneficial Birds: Rewilding our yards and orchards to control pests
June 25, 2024 / Pawpaw 101 and KSU Pawpaw Program Update with Kirk Pomper
May 28, 2024 / Rediscovering Lost Goldrush Era Fruit with Felix Gillet Institute
April 30, 2024 / Cicada and Lanternfly with Douglas Pfeiffer
March 26, 2024 / Future Apples and Pears with Christopher Gottschalk
February 27, 2024 / Apple & Pears for Cidermaking with Charles McGonegal and Left Bank Ciders
January 30, 2024 / New Orchard Lessons Learned by Josh Fuder and Matt Steven
November 9-11, 2023 / NAFEX Virtual Conference – Watch or listen to the recorded sessions!
October 24, 2023 / Growing Figs in Cold Climates with Lee Reich
September 26, 2023 / Creating Community Orchards featuring The Giving Grove
August 29, 2023 / Growing Kiwi (Actinidia species) led by Nick Kasko and Chris Homanics
July 25, 2023 / Growing Amelanchier (Serviceberry / Shadbush / Saskatoon) led by Eric Bina
June 27, 2023 / Growing Citrus in Cold and Warm Climates led by Ryan Raes
May 30, 2023 / Growing Cherry and Prunus Species, Part II
April 25, 2023 / Growing Cherry and Prunus Species led by Chris Homanics
March 28, 2023 / Grafting Workshop led by Leslie Wade
February 28, 2023 / Growing Mulberries led by Chris Homanics
January 31, 2023 / Scionwood Gathering and Rootstock Preservation
November 10-12, 2022 / NAFEX Virtual Conference – Watch or listen to the recorded sessions!
October 25, 2022 / Nut Growing: Challenges and Potential
September 28, 2022 / Grow Hardy Citrus with Sam Hubert
August 16, 2022 / Growing Quince with Joseph Postman, USDA retired, and Friends
July 20, 2022 / NAFEX Happy Hour and Fruit Tree Pedigree Explorer Preview
June 22, 2022 / Growing Elderberry for Home and Market with Chris Sullivan
May 17, 2022 / Growing Persimmon and Pawpaw for Market with Kris Klueg Heeter
April 20, 2022 / Virtual Grafting Workshop with Taylor Malone and Taylor Yowell
March 24, 2022 / Selecting Rootstocks with Steve Cummins and Bob Purvis
February 21, 2022 / Winter Pruning Workshop with Lee Reich
February 9, 2022 / Apple Interest Group – Red Fleshed Apples
November 2021 / NAFEX Virtual Conference – Recordings now on our NAFEXTV YouTube channel
May 2021 / Southern Apples (Download file)
April 2021 / Northern Pears and Asian Pears (Download file)
March 2021 / American Persimmon (Download file)
December 2020 / NAFEX Virtual Conference – Recordings now on our NAFEXTV YouTube channel
Interest and Regional Fruit Groups
Here are some ideas for Interest Group chairs or those considering volunteering. Our NAFEX board members can help to organize a virtual Interest Group meeting and any current chairs would be happy to let you know what they do for their groups, as well. If you’d like to join an Interest Group, please email the chair below. If you’d like to start one for a fruit that is not currently represented below, please email us.
Fruit Tree Pedigree Explorer
For those interested in fruit breeding it is always helpful to know the pedigree of existing varieties. With that in mind we’ve collected existing published pedigree information for a few fruit into a graphical tool to explore their family trees.
Apple Pedigree Explorer
Pear Pedigree Explorer
Fruit and Nut Interest Groups
- Apple — Derek Mills, Hocking Hills Orchard, 14435 Nickel Plate Road, Logan, OH 43138
- Apricot Bob Purvis, 1568 Hill Road, Homedale, ID 83628-3517. (208)407-6781
- Canadian Sources — David Maxwell
- Edible Dogwood — Cornus mas, Cornus officionalis, Cornus Kousa Chair: John Holzwart, (920)457-9290
- Fruit Trees for Public Spaces — Bill Whipple
- Fruits for the Wild — David Osborn
- Grapes — Patrick Schumann, PO Box 40171, NM 87196-0171
- Honeylocust (Gleditsia triacanthos): Andy Wilson, Springtree Agroforestry Project, 268 Springtree Lane, Scottsville, VA 24590 (434) 286- 3466 (evenings are best)
- Pawpaw — Barbara Rosholdt
- Pear:
- NORTHERN —David Sliwa, 2682 Lannon Hill Rd., Decorah, IA 52101. (563) 382-3922.
- Persimmon,
- AMERICAN– Taylor Yowell
- Quince — Joseph Postman, 35768 Blakesley Creek Rd., Philomath, OR 97379. (541)609-0241.
- Walnut (Black) Richard Fahay – Singing Tree, 588 Turner Rd., Oxford, NY 13830
Regional Fruit Groups
Although NAFEX does not have regional or state chapters, we do encourage the development of local groups that have the same interests and goals. Here are some current groups:
Alaska Pioneer Fruit Growers Association
Midwest Fruit Explorers (MidFEx): Chicago area active fruit growers.
Southern Fruit Fellowship (SFF): Covers the southeastern states
Backyard Fruit Growers: Pennsylvania Group
Indiana Fruit and Nut Growers Association (formerly INGA)