Introduction to Tree Fruit Production – Online Course

Planning and Managing Orchards for Hobby and Business

Tree fruit are an important component of the agricultural and homeowner landscape. Planting and management of apple and other tree fruit orchards is a rewarding hobby and business, but you cannot simply plant trees and expect good fruit. There’s a lot that goes into successful orcharding!

This course trains beginning tree fruit growers in fundamental concepts in orchard planning and management. Content will include site selection and management, rootstock and cultivar selection, orchard systems, pest management, nutrient management, and harvest considerations for commercial orchards tailored to the northeast U.S.

Target Audience

All levels – The course is for beginning tree fruit growers, or experienced growers seeking a refresher on basic concepts in orchard management. The topics covered will be specific to orchard systems and may not be appropriate for all climatic zones.

Course Objectives

At the completion of this course, you will:

• Understand of the basics of tree fruit production, harvesting, and marketing
• Have information sources to develop an orchard planting and management plan

Webinars

The bulk of the course happens on your own time, with discussions, readings, and assignments in Teachable, our virtual classroom. To add to the experience, webinars will be woven into the online interface of the course to allow you to meet on a weekly basis to learn from outside presenters and ask questions to address your farm issues in real time. If you miss one, they are always recorded and posted for later viewing. Access details will be posted in Teachable once you have registered and logged in.

Webinar Schedule

Live instruction for the 2021-2022 season will begin on Wed. Feb 23, 2022 from 6:30-8:30pm Eastern time, and continue for 6 weeks, with the final webinar on Wed. Mar 30. While we encourage live attendance so you have the opportunity to engage with the presenters and ask questions, all webinars we will be posted in our online classroom for students to watch anytime.