© 2012 Missouri Nut Growers Association - Meetings. All Rights Reserved.

May 5, 2012  MNGA Grafting Field Day.  First Fruits Farm, Collins, MO.  Our host, Sara Jean Peters, has several groves of black walnuts, planted in 2002 and 2003.  Extension Nut Specialist Bill Reid will demonstrate nut tree grafts. Following lunch ($6) and the annual exchange of scion wood, Extension Horticulturalist Patrick Byers will lead of tour of several alternative crop plantings, including elderberries, pawpaws, and Aronia, that offer promise as an income-producing Agroforestry practice when paired with young nut orchards.  Coffee will be served at 9:00 a.m.; the program begins at 9:30 a.m.  First Fruits Farm is located west of Collins, Missouri.  Take Rt. 54 west from the junction of Rts. 54 and 13 approximately four miles to SE 501 Road.  Turn north and follow through three turns to 4130 SE 700 Road.  The site is located approximately 1 mile west of the third turn.  Signs will be posted.  Contact Sara Jean Peters, 417-275-4422 for details.

    SCION EXCHANGE WISH LIST:  The 2012 scion wood has already been collected, so it's a bit late to be putting out a wish list.  On the other hand, if you're planning to attend the 5/5 meeting and have a few extra sticks of the following cultivars, they'd be most welcome. We will continue to update this list prior to the meeting.  If you plan to attend and are looking for a particular cultivar, please use the "Contact Us" option to email the webmaster your request. Requests in parenthesis taken from the membership applications: these individuals may or may not be planning to attend 5/5)
    Black Walnut---Hay (Bowser, Football, Kwik Krop)
    Pecan--(Kanza, Peruque, Pawnee)
    Chestnut--Peach
    Pawpaw--any cultivar
    Persimmon--Yates
    Hickory--(Triplett)

May 8, 2012  MNGA Grafting Field Day.  Heritage Valley Tree Farm, Washington, MO.  MNGA is pleased to offer a second opportunity for individuals to learn grafting techniques.  Vern and Bee Spaunhorst will host this session at their Heritage Valley Tree Farm near Washington, MO.  Vern and Bee are revamping their 10 acre pecan planting, replacing cultivars that are most subject ot scab by grafting onto the stumps of cut trees.  The outing will be held from 1:00-4:00 p.m. and Extension Specialist Bill Reid will be demonstrating grafts.  Contact Vern Spaunhorst for details after April 1st at 636-239-7479.  Additional information and a map are available at the Heritage Valley web site.

September 28, 2012.  MNGA Pre-Harvest Meeting.  Howard and Faye Gillis of Stockton will host our Pre-Harvest gathering in the morning and we'll tour the nearby Hammons Black Walnut Processing facility that afternoon.  The outing coincides with the annual Stockton Black Walnut Festival.  Details will be posted in mid-August.

February 1-2, 2013  MNGA Nut Show and Annual Meeting.  Nevada Community Center, 200 N Ash, Nevada, MO See MAP.

The full details for this event will be in the Winter 2012-13 issue of the MNGA Newsletter.  We will have the work session for the 2011 Nut Show on Friday, February 1st starting at 9:00 a.m.  Lots of stories are exchanged as we crack and shell out the samples.  The MNGA board will meet that afternoon.

Our annual meeting will be held on February 2nd.  Doors open at 9:00 a.m. with coffee and donuts.  The meeting begins at 9:30 a.m. 
Spring 2012 Walnut Council Meeting and Tours, May 11-12, 2012
Tours will visit several managed timber units near Edina, Missouri including a 20 acre white oak planting, several TSI sites, and two walnut plantings.  For details, contact Dennis Potter (President, Missouri Chapter of the Walnut Council) at dkpotter52{at}gmail.com

Pecan Pruning Techniques, May 18, 2012, 9:30 a.m.
Dr. Bill Reid, Pecan Research and Extension Specialist from Kansas State University will demonstrate proper pruning techniques for pecans at Prothe's Pecans.  For additional details, contact Leland and Slina Prothe, 33850 Victory Road, Paola, KS, 913-849-3358.

2012 Comprehensive Elderberry Workshop and Farm Tour, June 7-8, 2012
This annual workshop on elderberry production will feature elderberry marketing techniques, elderberry cultivars of the past, present and future, raising elderberries by the acre, and determining the profitability of elderberry crops.  For additional information, visit the Elderberry Life web page at www.elderberrylife.com.

Annual Meeting of the Northern Nut Growers Association, July 22-25, 2012 
103rd Annual Meeting to be held at the University of Kentucky, Lexington.  Details will be included in the Summer 2012 issue of The Nutshell and posted on the www.nutgrowing.org website.

Annual Meeting of the Walnut Council, July 29-August 1, 2012
Champaign-Urbana, Illinois. The meeting will include a field tour to the Forest Glen Conservation Area near Danville, IL.  Details will be posted on the Walnut Council web site.