Barkslip's
Fruit School

Barkslip Roadshow

Fellow fanatic fanciers of foliated fruiting forests,

Thank you for your interest in Barkslip's Fruit School.
It is my intenton to set up arrangements with community organizers like you to not only have me come to your communty to have fun sharing the joys of growing fruit, but to offer an opportunity to raise money for other projects you may be championing. Whether it is to raise money to pay for plant material, help finance further trainings, community or school gardens, initiate a local fruit club, etc. I want to help get out as much information about diversity, self reliance and empowerment as possible. In most cases, if you can get a minimum of 12 students, that will be sufficient to cover my costs, as well as, have money left over for your projects. Given the popularity of fruit and the lack of access to informaton about alternative fruit culture, a 12 student minimum should be within reach. Stack your functions and piggyback it with a school program.

I have put together 2 weekend packages of fruit classes in order for us to get the most of my travel expenses. Also, people will be willing to come from further distances because participating in a concentrated number of classes will make it worth their while. The classes are delineated enough so a person can pick and choose individual classes, or get a discount for attending the entire series.

Facilities- The beauty of fruit school is we can do it anywhere people can be comfortable. However, things that would enhance the experience for the students is to have access to existing fruit trees, bushy young unwanted weed trees for practicing pruning, an opportunity to plant a tree, being able to make a small mess, and to encourage having lunch breaks together either by providing soup and bread or have people bring their bag lunch.

Materials- I will provide most of the specific materials, but could use help scavanging some other common supplies.

Costs and logistics: Please call or email for pricing, seasonal availability of classes, and custom packages. email:whipplebill@hotmail.com or Phone: 828 713 2424

Additional class offerings:

Humanure- "It's a hot topic": Consider offering this 3 hour class, that will cover all you need to know to consciously set up a no cost, low tech, composting toilet system. Encourage your carbon footprint to take a huge step towards living sustainably. This class is a life changer.

Urban Fruit growing: (2 hours) The yields from fruit tree plantings in the urban jungle are far from over with the picking of fruit.This class comes from my 5 years experience stewarding the Public Edible park in Asheville, working with school garden programs, and planting new Edible gardens. I will share what I have learned about being most effective working with the community, city officials, non profits, schools, as well as, the practical side of what and how to plant in public paces and small urban lots. (This class is most effective following the Fruit Tree Care and Pruning class)

Have Professor Barkslip visit a local School

Professor Barkslip loves to vist school gardens and talk with the kids about his favorite subject- fruit. He has been working with kids for over 15 years and this could be scheduled around a weekend workshop.

Maple sugaring: (1 -3 hours) The professor worked a maple sugaring season with a 5th generaton Vermont maple sugarer back 1983 and has subsequently run up to a 100 taps over the years on his place in West Virginia. Maple sugaring can be done most anywhere with found materials and a variety of trees. Learn the when to tap, trees that produce sap, low tech materials needed, and how the 'hot dog' is essential to success. This is a great activity to engage school kids with the outdoors.

Intro to Bee Keeping: (2-4 hours) This can be a lecture, or if you have access to a hive and extra protective gear, can be a hands on class. Again the emphasis will be about raising bees organically, and some ideas about value added marketing.

Working with green wood: (lecture- 2 hours; tool handle making- 1 day; stool making- 3 days; ladder back chair making- 5 days) The professor's day job for the last 25 years has been as a woodworker (visit:www.wiplwood.com or wiplstix.com) and has been teaching these skills at the John C. Cambell FolkSchool for the last 4 years. Come share his love of working with wood from a 2 hour lecture on the amazing qualities of the variety of species we live with and how to utilize them, to actual hands on greenwood tool handle, stool or chair making. Learn to make things from a tree in your woods entirely with hand tools.