2023-24 Heritage Orchard Conference
The Heritage Orchard Conference was established in 2019 with an in-person conference held at the University of Idaho’s Sandpoint Organic Agriculture Center. The conference attracted a diverse group of heritage tree fruit enthusiasts for a day of presentations ranging from heritage fruit exploration to apple identification. Since 2020, the conference has been organized as a free monthly webinar series, extending our reach to nearly 2,000 participants from 27 countries. The 2023-24 series has topics for all heritage apple enthusiasts, ranging from a basic understanding of fermented cider production to information on how to breed new apple varieties in your backyard.
Wednesdays | 10-11:30 a.m. Pacific Time (U.S. & Canada)
Oct. 18 — Using Your Heirloom Apples to Make Amazing (Fermented) Cider
- Presenter: Brandon Buza — Cidermaker
- Moderator: John Bunker — Maine Heritage Orchard
Nov. 15 — The Legacy of Lee Calhoun and Tom Burford: Southern Apples Revisited
- Presenter: Diane Flynt — Author of “Wild, Tamed, Lost, Revived: The Surprising Story of Apples in the South
- Moderator: Kyle Nagy — University of Idaho Sandpoint Organic Agriculture Center
Dec. 20 — Methodologies, Tools and Resources for Historical Apple Research
- Presenters: David Benscoter — The Lost Apple Project; Dan Bussey — Author of “The Illustrated History of Apples in United States and Canada”; Lydia Pendergast — Maine Heritage Orchard; David Castro — The Lost Apple Project
- Moderator: Kyle Nagy — University of Idaho Sandpoint Organic Agriculture Center
Jan. 17 — Fruit Exploration: A Primer for Hobbyists, Conservationists, Researchers and Everyone In Between
- Presenters: David Benscoter — The Lost Apple Project; Greg Partch — Former President of the Whitman County Historical Society; Kris Heeter —President of North American Fruit Explorers (NAFEX)
- Moderator: Richard Uhlmann — The Lost Apple Project
Feb. 21 — Stories of Apple Discovery Using Historical Research
- Presenters: David Benscoter — The Lost Apple Project; John Bunker – Maine Heritage Orchard; Jude MORP — Montezuma Orchard Restoration Project; Todd Little-Siebold — College of the Atlantic
- Moderator: Kyle Nagy — University of Idaho Sandpoint Organic Agriculture Center
March 20 — Development of New Commercial Apple Varieties
- Presenter: Sarah Kostick — University of Minnesota
- Moderator: Sadie Barrett — Idaho Heritage Tree Project
April 17 — Using Apple Breeding to Create Varieties Adapted to My Farm
- Presenter: Ike Kerschner — North Star Orchard
- Moderator: Cameron Peace — Washington State University
Presenter and committee biography
Sadie Barrett
View ProfileDavid Benscoter
View ProfileEJ Brandt
View ProfileJohn Bunker
View ProfileDan Bussey
View ProfileBrandon Buza
View ProfileDavid Castro
View ProfileDiane Flynt
View ProfileDarlene Hayes
View ProfileKris Heeter
View ProfileIke Kerschner
View ProfileSarah Kostick
View ProfileTodd Little-Seibold
View ProfileRebecca McGee
View ProfileKyle Nagy
View ProfileGreg Partch Sr.
View ProfileCameron Peace
View ProfileLydia Pendergast
View ProfileJude Schuenemeyer
View ProfileRichard Uhlmann
View ProfileGayle Volk
View Profile