For the Love of Apples: An Interactive and Educational Workshop About Heirloom Apples

posted Monday, January 26, 2015

Enjoy a unique Valentine's Day celebration with your family and The Nature Museum at Grafton: For the Love of Apples. On Saturday, February 14th at 10 AM at the News Bank Conference Center in Chester, Ezekiel Goodband and Diana Lischer-Goodband will share their love and wisdom of heirloom apples. Join us for a morning of pomological history and poetry, as well as professional advice on growing, grafting and pruning apple trees. Light refreshments will be served at this event. Questions are encouraged at this workshop, which is designed to be an interactive and educational celebration for apple lovers of all ages!

Having grown apples ecologically for over 30 years, Ezekiel Goodband has earned his title of "apple guru." Zeke is the orchard manager of the historic Scott Farm in Dummerston, Vermont, which is owned by the non-profit, Landmark Trust U.S.A. A modern-day Johnny Appleseed, Zeke has introduced to consumers and growers over 100 varieties of heirloom apples and other fruit including quince, medlars, plums, peaches and cherries. Representing the US Department of Agriculture, he has traveled as an educator to Kazakhstan, where the apple originated. Zeke has recently appeared on National Public Radio, in Yankee Magazine, and was included in Rowan Jacobsen's new book, Apples of Uncommon Character: Heirlooms, Modern Classics and Little Known Wonders.

Just down the road from Scott Farm, Zeke and his wife Diana raise heirloom Cotswold Sheep and heritage breeds of chickens at their own farm. Diana Lischer-Goodband was raised on a farm in Pennsylvania, and has made Vermont home for over 35 years. Diana's writing includes published articles and essays as well as acclaimed poetry. Her poem, "Dreaming of Apples," won the Ralph Nadding Hill Literary Award in 2012. Her farm commentaries on Vermont Public Radio include "Apple Harvest Widow," about the time of year when apple farmers work long hours to pick, pack and sell apples. She is currently working on a Vermont historical novel set in the 1860s. Diana is also on the board of Land for Good, a regional non-profit dedicated to helping farmers gain farm land, and is a full-time grant writer for The Student Conservation Association (SCA).

This program is geared for adults and children over 10. Early bird tickets are $8 and are available at www.nature-museum.org. Tickets will also be sold at the door for $10. For more information, call (802) 843-2111. The News Bank Conference Center is located at 352 Main Street in Chester, VT.

The Nature Museum at Grafton is a regional resource for nature, science, and environmental education in the Vermont and New Hampshire communities of the Connecticut River Valley. The Nature Museum offers hands-on natural history exhibits, nature programs for adults and children, plus tours for schools and community groups. Information about other upcoming events can be found on The Nature Museum at Grafton's Facebook page (www.facebook.com/naturemuseumatgrafton) and on their website (www.nature-museum.org).

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