NZTCA Franklin Branch Nov 2015 newsletter

NEW ZEALAND TREE CROPS ASSOCIATION FRANKLIN BRANCH NEWSLETTER

In this edition...

Volume 36, Issue 5 - November, 2015

Working bee at the Franklin Food Forest

Forthcoming events...

Sun 22nd November - Field day: Franklin Food Forest planting day.

Sun 6th December - Field day: Christmas function

Conference 2016 update

Field Day at Clevedon

Franklin Food Forest Planting day

Franklin Food Forest working bee. at Pukekohe High School orchard Glasgow Road (John Street end)

Come lend a hand and see what the Franklin Food Forest is all about Sunday 22nd November 2015

Sat 13th February 2016 - Branch AGM:

Fri 22nd to Sunday 24th April 2016 - NZ Tree Crops Assoc National Conference and AGM: Wesley College

Reminder All TCA members are welcome at other meetings so look at the web site to see Events coming up www.treecrops.org.nz Articles appearing in this newsletter may be reproduced in whole or in part provided that credit is given to the Franklin Branch of the NZ Tree Crops Association and the Author.

TCA Branch Newsletters

Each area Newsletter Editor receives a copy of the other branches Newsletters by email. If you are interested in getting these forwarded to you, please let me know at john@WJohnAllen.nz

Welcome to New Members: Sinead Mohally (Auckland) David Thompson (Waiuku)

- starting 1 pm, clear prunings from Lifestyler’s area, distribute mulch - from 2 pm planting of trees, shrubs and perennials Please bring your wheelbarrow, spades and rakes as well as green garden waste and garden worms - especially the worms. Contact John Allen 021 46 36 86.

Franklin Treecroppers’ Christmas Do

Sunday 6th December 1:30 pm at Gilly and David Evans’ Jericho Road Orchard, 210 Jericho Road, Pukekohe East.

Jericho Road Orchards is a family run business set over 14.5 acres. The majority of the property is planted with figs and feijoas, and includes a developing cider apple orchard. There are 5 acres of grazing land with a gully planted with over 800 natives. The garden is home to an array of citrus, stone fruit, apple, quince, and various nut trees.

Their vision is to scale-up the enterprise by redeveloping the site to process and sell gourmet products with the fruit from the orchard, creating an educational experience for visitors and providing year-round employment.

Come join us for a relaxed tour of this commercial orchard. Bring a Christmas plate for a shared afternoon tea, something to sit on and a story or two of your 2015 year.

AGM: Franklin Branch NZTCA

Saturday 13th February 2016 1:30 pm at the Franklin Food Forest.

Notice is given of the Franklin Branch, New Zealand Tree Crops Association Annual General Meeting.

Apricot Budding Workshop

Planned for February but a date is not yet set.

AGM and National Conference: NZTCA

Friday 22nd to Sunday 24th April 2016 at Wesley College.

Alpine strawberries growing in the FFF

Franklin TreeCroppers TCA Franklin newsletter

Letter from the Chair

Franklin Food Forest base

We are contemplating setting up a more permanent base for the branch at the Franklin Food Forest in the Pukekohe High School orchard. This will most likely be a secure, lockable container alongside a open-fronted work shed.

This drawing is from the original concept plans and shows the work shed in the north-west corner of the orchard.

Welcome to spring and for once the wind did not blow much of the plum blossoms away so it looks like I have a reasonable fruit set. Although we lost our bees this year, to what we still don’t know, there are plenty of bees around.

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For those of you who attended the grafting workshop your grafts should be showing growth, particularly the apples.

If they are showing signs of taking then you need to start rubbing off, or if the growth is too big for that, snip off any growth on the rootstock so that all energy can go into growing that new tree. The pear grafts seem to be a little slower so be very careful when removing growth from the rootstock and the interstock. If your graft has not taken you will still want that tree (rootstock) to grow so that you can try grafting again next year.

November, 2015

Jacob Howard, a year 12 student, is this year’s recipient of our $100 gift voucher at the Pukekohe High School prize giving. Jacob is a dedicated conservationist, leads the school’s “young farmers group” and also does a lot of volunteer work. Congratulations Jacob.

An idea was sparked when John & Bron Ferguson kindly offered Heather Douglas some Seville Oranges and a recipe for making Marmalade. Why not make a range of tree crop-based produce for the conference next April?

So we are asking members to start preserving and potting up interesting items to put on our exhibitor stand. Any fruit or nut trees, berries, anything edible really and any timber/firewood/fodder trees.

Besides the Marmalade, we now have on offer Heather’s Feijoa Chutney, famed in Waiua Pa, and Lois’ Cashmere Chutney, famed in Puriri Downs.

Like to contribute to showcasing Franklin? Just let Heather know, your contribution will be gratefully received.

Our next field day and our last for 2015 will be held on 6th December at Gilly & David Evans property in Jericho Road, details in this newsletter. It will be a Xmas themed afternoon tea and I do hope to see you there.

A very important date to put in your calendar is the AGM being held SATURDAY 13th FEBRUARY 2016 at the Franklin Food Forest in the Pukekohe High School Orchard, 1.30pm.

Raewyn Jarkiewicz

Tidbits & Bouquets

Take a bow Franklin Treecroppers! David Whyte, a Franklin branch member and the NZTCA North Island Vice President has done some research on NZTCA membership trends.

Franklin tops the North Island list of gains in new member numbers and figures highly in terms of the number of members per population.

So well done to your committee, it is for sure the activities they organise for you that has led to an increase in branch membership.

If anyone has access to containers and/or work sheds, please let us know.

friends of the Food Forest In presenting the Food Forest project to the Pukekohe RSA Women’s League last month, John floated the idea of a “friends of the Franklin Food Forest” group. Weekly meetings for retired folk at the food forest, an opportunity for a chat, to learn a little bit more about forest gardening and contribute to the upkeep of the food forest was well received.

The committee have decided to explore the idea further.

Apricot budding workshop

Talking of using the Franklin Food Forest as a base for branch activities, this is Raewyn planting around 130 peach seedlings in the growing area of the Pukekohe High School orchard. These will be used in our apricot budding workshop planned for February 2016.

Field trip report

Tree Crops in Clevedon Saturday 17th October 2015

Franklin TreeCroppers TCA Franklin newsletter 3

So is the wind.

Which is one of the things that makes for the fairly unique form of tree cropping seen at this property. Another difference is that the orchard trees are spread throughout a regenerating forest comprised of mainly manuka. And being on a hill required Edward and Priscilla to adopt a non-conventional approach to their orchard layout.

What we saw was an extensive use of terracing that made the property accessible and interesting. Over every ridge line was not only a new vista, but also a new facet to the orchard.

The manuka provided a natural wind break to the orchard trees as well as a great opportunity for the local bee keeper.

This was a fascinating visit and worth a repeat visit.

November, 2015

Edward and Priscilla Dawson’s property near Clevedon is perched on the top of the Hunua ranges. With 360 degree views from the Firth of Thames in the east, to Franklin’s west coast, the views are fantastic.

Franklin TreeCroppers

Franklin Food Forest a Tree Crops project

TCA Franklin newsletter 4 November, 2015

The Franklin Food Forest is taking shape nicely. Many thanks to the many willing workers who made short work of much of the mulch spreading and tree planting last month. Of the four distinct areas, two are now planted and flourishing.

So come, lend a hand and see what the Franklin Food Forest is all about from 1:30 pm to 4 pm this Sunday. Please bring your wheelbarrow, spades and rakes as well as green garden waste and garden worms - especially the worms.

For further information, contact John Allen 021 46 36 86.

With a great variety of tree crops, shrubs, vines, ground covers and root crops growing quickly in the friable Pukekohe clay, the urban food forest lacks only a fence to emulate what suburban tree croppers might experience.

If anyone has access to fencing materials (white picket, brush, bamboo, ...), then please do get in touch.

The shelter belt area also is growing well with a range of larger trees providing cover to the rest of the orchard, from our fierce south-westerly winds.

It is now time to go to the next stage in this development and so a working bee is scheduled for Sunday 22nd November (1:30 pm - 4:00 pm). We will focus on the lifestylers’ food forest, covering the full seven levels of a food forest.

The Asian Pear trees in that area have been removed so the working bee will concentrate on removing the debris, applying mulch and planting around 40 trees.

The final area to be developed is the growers’ food forest.

Here the two rows of kiwi vines have been reduced to a half row. If we have time at the working bee, the vine prunings need to be mulched and the vine supports rejigged.

Lo st & Found

Set of secate H ea th er @ co

urs left at Gra

fting worksh op. e contact Hea th er D o u g las at ld o u g .c o m

Owner pleas

Conference 2016 Organising committee report

Franklin: Fertility...Food...Future

Franklin TreeCroppers TCA Franklin newsletter

The web site is live and our first conference registrations are in. Do have a look at http://TreeCropsConference.nz

5 November, 2015

Dates: Friday 22nd - Sunday 24th April 2016 (Anzac Weekend) Venue: Wesley College, Pukekohe Theme: Franklin: Fertility...Food...Future

Interesting that the November issue of NZ Lifestyle Block introduces our Conference in its “Coming Up” section with a focus on biochar and biofuels.

Trust we will see most of you joining us for the 2016 Conference.

Great chance to attend without having to travel very far. We are looking for many of you to volunteer to help us over that weekend.

Biochar and biofuels are subjects important to me (see the pic on page 6) and something that has huge potential for lifestyle block farmers. The growing of biomass is a future income stream for land owners. As a feedstock, that biomass can be used to manufacture biofuels (gas or biodiesel), provide a beneficial soil amendment that will also sequester carbon in the soil.

Two features of every conference are the Auction night and the plant sales.

Both of these are crucial in helping your branch in fund raising.

We haven’t had the usual two years to plan for this conference so are appealing to our members to assist us in getting some plants ready for the sale table. So for those with the time and/or plants that can be grown for selling, please do contact us to let us know what you have or what we could do together.

For our Auction and sale, we are looking for any items, be it equipment or jams, chutney, anything at all, so please contact us so we can include it into our planning.

We would also like to offer personal hosting of attendees so if you are happy to billet someone (Thursday to Sunday/Monday), please let us know (email: franklin@treecrops.org.nz).

Look forward to hearing from you soon Heather Douglas TCA Conference 2016 Organising Committee Heather@coldoug.com 09 232 1103 - 021 320 828

So I am very happy to have John McDonaldWharry (Waikato University) and Marta Camps (Associate Professor at Massey University’s Biochar Research Centre) co-presenting on this subject.

The presentation will be supported by a demonstration of biochar manufacturing technologies at the Food Forest field trip.

Franklin TreeCroppers

Field Day driving directions.

Franklin Treecroppers’ Xmas Do

Sunday 6th December 1:30 pm

TCA Franklin newsletter

Franklin Branch Committee

Gilly and David Evans’ Jericho Road Orchard,

Queen Bee: Raewyn Jarkiewicz 09 292 5051 Email rjarkie@gmail.com

210 Jericho Road, Pukekohe East.

From the Bombay motorway interchange, Head west on Mill Rd, (go 2.1 km), Turn left onto Harrisville Rd (go 250 m), Turn left onto Jericho Rd (go 2 km), Destination will be on the right

Hon Secretary franklin@treecrops.org.nz vacant - want to help? Contact Raewyn.

Honey Treasurer: Ian Laing Ph 09 236 3796

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Vice Chair Heather Douglas Ph 09 232 1103 Email heather.douglas12@gmail.com

November, 2015

Newsletter Editor John Allen Ph 09 238 1357 Email John@WJohnAllen.nz Hive Coordinator Stephanie Coles 09 236 3554 rosscoles@xtra.co.nz Honey Gatherer Convener: Stephanie Coles 09 236 3554 rosscoles@xtra.co.nz Worker Bee: Graham Wheeler 09 239 1177 graham@thewheelers.co.nz

Treecrops for Biochar and Biofuels

The date on your NZTCA newsletter label shows the renewal date of your membership.

To log on to the membership section of the web site http://treecrops.org.nz, you will need your membership number which is also given on the newsletter label.

A Field day at your property?

This can be useful if you have something you would like to show us, some problem that we can discuss and help with, or you need ideas of what to plant.

Please have a chat with someone on the committee or just let us know that you would like us to include your place, and the best time of year for you.

This informal trial of tree crops for biochar and biofuel has seen 100 poplar poles planted in a range of soil media. The objective is to assess the impacts of compost tea-innoculated biochar as a growing medium. There are two groups of plantings - one with and one without compost tea and within each group is a selection of soils, some including biochar and some not.

SAFETY DECLARATION. For the purpose of Field Days, the properties we visit are designated as work places. As there are multiple hazards, please take particular care.

Parents are responsible for their children.

Fr a n k l i n T r ee C rop p ers Not ic e s Buy Se ll & Swap

Franklin TreeCroppers To ad ve rt is eh C o n ta ct H ea er e, fr ee to m em b er s, th er D o u g la s at H ea th er @ co ld o u co ld o u g .c o

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Grafting Tool for sale

$35

on RadioNZ Listen to Stefan Sobkowiak’s interview This is a . ram National’s Saturday morning prog . very interesting 34 minutes

Member web sites:

Do you have a Web site that we can put a link to on the Newsletter? Please email us and we can add it on the next Newsletter. Include a short note on what the web site is about.

TreeCropsConference.nz https://www.facebook.com/ groups/treescrops/ https://www.facebook.com/ groups/FranklinFoodForest/ RuralConnect.org.nz Assisting rural people and businesses in the broadband society

November, 2015

Delivery in 2 weeks. To order, call John on 021 46 36 86.

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Chinese made. Quality construction. Supplied with 3 double-edged cutting blades that are easy to change (replacement blades available).

g .c o m

TCA Franklin newsletter

Used food-g rade 20 litre buckets - $5 contact Hea each ther at H ea th er @

In this edition...

Report on October field day

NEW ZEALAND TREE CROPS

Advice of Field Days in December and February

FRANKLIN BRANCH

Snippets from other Branch’s newsletters Franklin Food Forest 2016 NZTCA Conference organising committee

NEW ZEALAND TREE CROPS ASSOCIATION FRANKLIN BRANCH NEWSLETTER Secretary: P O Box 1200, Pukekohe 2340