Our Mission:

Our Mission: To enable individuals and communities to take an active part in the cultivation of systems that provide the highest quality fruits, vegetables, herbs and other yields, in a way that benefits themselves, cares for the land and environment, and provides a surplus to use, share and reinvest into the system.

Tuesday, March 12, 2019

Tree Grafting Workshop 2019

It's no secret, I'm CRAZY for apples!  Big ones, little ones, red ones, green ones, gold ones...
...and peaches, plums & pears HA HA HA!

Maybe you have a cherished memory of a treasured tree on Grandma and Grandpa's farm.  It was a favorite to climb and grab a juicy late summer treat; the pies she made with them were incredible.  But maybe that tree is old and in pretty rough shape now, or the entire homestead is going to be auctioned off next year.  Maybe the new owners will cut it down, or the whole place plowed under for a couple extra acres of corn and beans.

Wouldn't you like to share some of those apples with your children or even grandchildren?

You can do it by grafting!

Grafting a healthy piece of that tree onto a new young rootstock will allow you to keep producing those same apples for years to come.  You'll be able to share with your family and friends, not only the memories, but also the flavor of those apples, and maybe even the pies if Grandma shared her secret recipe!  Maybe you'll make several to share as heirloom trees for all the cousins and grandkids.


Fruit Tree Grafting Workshop
WHEN:  Saturday, April 13th 2019
10:00 am - 11:00 am
WHERE:  Cherry Glen Learning Farm
 3989 NW 94th Ave
 Polk City, IA 50226 (map)

If this sounds good, or even if you just want to acquire a new skill, you'll want to make plans to attend this workshop.  During the workshop you will learn how to graft trees and gain valuable hands on experience.

Each attendee will be able to graft three trees to take home.  Materials include three rootstocks, three pieces of scion wood, grafting tape and compound.  Follow the event page for updates, space and materials are limited.



Select from popular or historic apple varieties, or bring scion from your favorite apple tree to preserve a variety that has personal significance to you. Each participant will graft 3 apple trees for $40 (class $10, materials fee of $30). If rootstock is leftover, you'll have the opportunity to graft additional trees for $10 each.
Class size is limited, so reserve your spot by emailing abundantdesign@hotmail.com.

I highly recommend you bring your own knife to the grafting workshop, and to have for future use. Tools to share will be provided, but if you want to use a knife you must use your own.  You can purchase one below, or I will have a couple to purchase..

Maybe you'll eventually try a triple graft for three varieties on one tree!  
Maybe even more!



Grafting tools, knives and supplies-
A utility knife will do in a pinch (even electrical tape and petroleum jelly can substitute for the tape and compound) but these are the real deal and should provide many future trees to be done.


This knife should last you years and years.  The tool probably won't be an heirloom for your grandkids like the knife, but it may speed up your process.

Go to my YouTube Channel for a review of the grafting tool!
While you're there, hit the SUBSCRIBE button!

Water Water Everywhere #1 - Runoff & Flooding

Spring rains are right around the corner, and with them usually comes flooding. We may even experience some before Spring officially arrives with the 'bomb cyclone'!

Rainwater is a great resource when timed right and in the right amounts, or stored for later use in rain barrels or in soil pore space.

Unfortunately too much at once can have devastating effects.  More people die in flooding than tornadoes, lightning or any other severe weather related causes.  Floods cause billions of dollars in damages annually.


What's worse is that rain intensity and duration are increasing, especially in the Midwest region.

Certain precipitation conditions on the basins also showed systematic temporal increases since the 1920s, including annual precipitation, number of seven-day heavy rain events, and the number of days with precipitation. This climatic shift to more multi-day periods of heavy rain appears to be the major reason that hydrologic flooding in the three states has increased since the 1920s. Analysis of the individual major hydrologic floods revealed five different types of precipitation conditions, including snow-melt situations that produced major floods. The primary cause of major floods was prolonged periods of four- to 13-day durations with intermittent moderate to heavy rains, and these events often included heavy, 15-centimeter rainstorms capable of producing flash floods. Causes for Record High Flood Losses in the Central United States


Our recent land management and development practices are also contributing to flooding issues.

Reduction of soil organic matter, loss of wetlands and bare fields in Spring all slow infiltration and increase runoff.  Urban sprawl and the increase of impermeable surfaces i.e. rooftops and parking lots; even compacted lawns, also contribute to flood intensity.
A sensitivity analysis was performed to evaluate the effects of urbanization and climate variability on increasing flood peaks. Results indicated that, on average, urbanization caused a 34% greater increase in peak flows than climate variability. In addition, this study indicated that present discharges are, on average, at least 19% larger than regulatory discharges. Ongoing urbanization may cause flood peaks to become even higher. Impacts of Urbanization and Climate Variability on Floods in Northeastern Illinois

Watch for the next post in the series as we look at what this means for water quality.

#TurnAroundDontDrown

#SlowItSpreadItSinkIt