UMaine Extension offers training on bench grafting apple trees

Farmington, Maine — University of Maine Cooperative Extension will offer a Bench Grafting Apple Trees workshop from 5 – 7 p.m. on Friday, March 28 at the Franklin County Extension Office, 138 Pleasant Street, Suite 1 in Farmington. 

Bench grafting is a propagation technique used to join dormant scion and rootstock. Workshop instructors Nick Rowley, UMaine Extension sustainable agriculture professional and Renae Moran, Extension tree fruit specialist, will provide a hands-on demonstration of the technique. Participants will use specialized tools to graft young trees to take home. This workshop is perfect for homeowners and small hobby orchards but is open to all. 

Registration for this workshop is $50 and is limited to 12 participants. Register online at the event webpage. Due to the use of sharp knives youth participants must have a parent or guardian present. All participants must sign an assumption of risk waiver prior to the start of class. For more information or to request a reasonable accommodation, contact Nick at 207.778.4650 or nicholas.rowley@maine.edu.

University of Maine Cooperative Extension

As a trusted resource for over 100 years, University of Maine Cooperative Extension has supported UMaine’s land and sea grant public education role by conducting community-driven, research-based programs in every Maine county. UMaine Extension seeks to build thriving communities and grow the food-based economy, focusing on aspects from production and processing to nutrition, food safety and food security. Extension also conducts the most successful out-of-school youth educational program in Maine through 4-H which offers hands-on projects in areas like health, science, agriculture and civic engagement and creates a positive environment where participants are encouraged to take on proactive leadership roles.