Mission of the The Midwest Organic Tree Fruit Growers Network: To share information and encourage research to improve the organic production and marketing of tree fruit in the Midwest, and to represent the interests of growers engaged in such. We do this through a quarterly newsletter, field days, an electronic list-serv and this website.	We want to know what you think! Please complete this brief questionnaire on the opportunities the Network is providing to tree fruit growers in the Midwest.
Tree Fruit Network Coordinator: Deirdre Birmingham 7258 Kelly Road Mineral Point, WI 53565 deirdreb@mindspring.com Phone: 608-967-2362	You are invited to Join the list-serv to share questions and responses, ideas, information and resources of interest to other growers. "Just Picked" Newsletter of the Midwest Organic Tree Fruit Growers Network Newsletter
We invite you to explore the resources offered on this web site, including helpful informational resources, research on tree fruit production and processing, events relevant to organic tree fruit producers and our newsletter, Just Picked. To join our list-serv discussion forum or to receive the newsletter, please contact the Network Coordinator and include your email address in the message.

The Organic Apple Grower Hour

Every Thursday morning at 8:00 a.m. organic apple orchardist and author, Michael Phillips, joined with other growers for the Organic Apple Grower Hour, from April 24th to August 28th.  One call remains on November 13 at 8:00 AM for growers to review their management strategies for the season. 
You can listen to past Organic Apple Grower Hours via an online blog.  The hour-long recordings are saved on the Apple Talkblog of the Eco-Apple Project of the Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems at the University of  Wisconsin-Madison. Anyone with access to the blog can download the call recordings at any time: fall, winter, whenever. Click here to read minutes from previous calls so you can choose topics of particular interest to you. To access Apple Talk, you'll need a user name and a password from Lisa DiPietro at ldipietro@wisc.edu or 608-265-3637.  If you’d like to voice support, ask questions, or provide ideas for the future of the Organic Apple Grower Hour, please contact Lisa by November 1, 2008.

Our History:
The Network was formed by growers on February 27, 2004 at the Organic Farming Conference held annually in La Crosse, Wisconsin. A meeting was held open to all interested in organic tree fruits. Twenty growers came from the states of Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota.
At that meeting there was a lively exchange on issues of interest to tree fruit growers. It was decided to continue the conversation through an informal network, and the Midwest Organic Tree Fruit Growers Network was born.

How we operate:
The Network is guided by an Advisory Council that started in February 2007. Those Council members are listed below.  You are welcome to contact them by clicking on a Council member’s name.

Harry Hoch of Hoch Orchards & Gardens, La Crescent, MN,
Jim Koan of Al-Mar Orchard, Flushing, MI
Tom Rosenfeld of Earth First Farms, Berrien Center, MI
David Sliwa of Sliwa Meadow Farm, Decorah, IA
Maury Wills of Wills Family Farm, Adell, IA
Deirdre Birmingham serves as the Network's part-time coordinator.

Thus far the Network has launched a list-serv discussion forum, field days, this web site, a newsletter, a trip to Michigan, and more. A full day classroom session on organic apple production was offered at the 2005 Organic University hosted by MOSES and attended by over 40 participants. In February, 2006 when Michael Phillips author of "The Apple Grower" taught an advanced organic apple production course at the 2006 Organic University.

We invite you to explore the resources offered on this web site, including helpful informational resources, research on tree fruit production and processing, events relevant to organic tree fruit producers and our newsletter, Just Picked.