Barkslip's
Fruit School

4th Annual Barkslip's Fruit school 2010

“Families, where fruit is most plentiful, and ripened good, are most free from disease of all kinds “
-Dr. J. A. Kennicott 1876

Fruit School Mission: The last 4 years I have been running Barkslip's Fruit school, a series of a hands on classes offered to the fruit enthusist, here in Asheville, North Carolina. I have gone around to many of our regional small organic farm conferences and am surprised to find that perennial fruit production is a sorely neglected topic. I believe it has come time to offer the subject in depth to the community at large. The Fruit school's misssion is to deliver back the knowledge and confidence of fruit propagation and cultivation to the public amateur. Historically, fruit cultvation was as widespread and diverse as the multitude of farmers and amateurs who practiced it. One hundred years ago there were 10,000's of varieties of fruit cultivars. Now there are a handful. It was a skill handed down like all others, and practiced in a spirit of experimentation, creativity, play, not to mention a desire for fresh, nutritious fruit. Fruit school intends to bridge the gap between the old practical wisdoms with the newer innovations necessary for living sustainably. Thus enabling people in your community to plan, plant and care for their diverse orchard plantings in a way that enhances their environment rather than destroying it (care and pruning class), and to propagate most any fruit plant material through low tech and organic means for little to no cost (grafting and rooting classes). These weekend intensives are an excellent follow up suppliment to your permaculture classes on orcharding and forest gardening, allowing plenty of time to focus on gaining the confidence to impliment long term perennial plantings.

Regards,
Professor T. Bud Barkslip

At the age of 18 Professor Barkslip began his fruit career as an apple picker in Washington state, ending in leading a picker's strike that shut down the 500 acre corporate orchard. He picked 5 subsequent seasons in various conventional and organic commercial orchards in Washington State and West Virginia, finally settling in West Virginia where he planted 2 acres of pears in 1987. He has raised these trees organically and now sells the pears at the tailgate markets and restaurants around Asheville. For seven years during this time he worked as a Vaudeville performer in the US, Canada, Europe, and Australia where he developed his unique presentation skills. In 2004, as a community volunteer, he took on stewardship of then seven year old public edible fruit park in downtown Asheville with its 40 varieties of fruits and nuts. He presently bifurcates between his micronursery and urban permaculture site in Asheville; managing his pear orchard and genome demonstration orchard on his farm in West Virginia; and teaching and consulting around the regional south east. He earned a one year degree in agriculture at Sterling Academy in 1983. and completed his Permaculture Design Course in 2007.

"If you have lots of fruit, you'll have lots of friends."
- Bill Mollison (Godfather of Permaculture)