Fruit Tree Planting & Harvest Festival at the Victory Garden - Fairfield Hills 10/5/13

These organizations in honor of 12/14, have donated the trees, and eleven volunteers who will be travelling to Newtown for the planting to create a thriving fruit tree orchard at the Victory Garden.

The trees, when fully mature, will provide the community with a healthy harvest and clean air each year, with approximately 1,650 pounds of fresh fruit harvest, 7,425 pounds of carbon dioxide sequestered, 5,850 pounds of oxygen created, and 225 pounds of air pollutants filtered from the atmosphere.

A total of 30 small fruit trees of varying types, including apple cultivars developed in Minnesota will be planted. An additional 30 trees are to be distributed to the local volunteers who sign up to help with the planting, so that they may plant them in their own backyards.

You are invited to attend the tree planting, tree giveaways, and workshops.

No experience necessary. A rewarding experience guaranteed, rain or shine!

The planting holes will be pre-dug by Newtown’s Parks and Recreation department.

What to bring????

Yourself, a few friends, a shovel, work gloves and lunch.

*Note: The first 30 volunteers who email confirmation to the following address and attend the planting will receive priority during the tree give-away

EMAIL TO: Harvey Pessin

harve9@yahoo.com

Schedule Saturday, October 5 at the Victory Garden

in Fairfield Hills (off Wasserman Way)

· 10:00 Welcome to local volunteers and introductions

THANK YOU TO OUR LOCAL VICTORY GARDEN VOLUNTEERS

· 10:15 Ceremonial tree planting

· 10:20 Planting demonstration and instructions from the FTPF’s arborist

· 10:30 Orchard planting with community volunteers

· 11:00 Harvest Festival –under the tent – picnic tables provided

Boblicity Band will perform, bring lunch, water provided

· 12:00 Tree give –away for the first 30 eligible volunteers

(*see above for details)

· 12:30 FTPF Tree Care Workshop for orchard caretakers, those volunteers taking trees home and anyone interested in learning about orchard tree growing

More about the volunteers:

The Victory Garden is a 20,000 square foot all volunteer garden that has provided over 3000 pounds of fresh produce to the food pantries in Newtown for the last three years. On average, there are about 150 volunteers who form teams to plant, cultivate, harvest, and deliver their bounty to the needy. For more information, visit www.foodpantrygarden.org.

Psychology professors Barbara Curchack of Inver Hills Community College and August Hoffman of Metropolitan State University, both located in suburban St. Paul, Minnesota, are coming to Newtown with 8 of their students to help plant the fruit trees in The Victory Garden. “It is a unique Minnesota gift to Connecticut” said Hoffman, who added “that community gardens are spaces for people to reflect, heal and become more resilient.”

About The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation

The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation (FTPF) is an international nonprofit charity dedicated to planting fruitful trees and plants to alleviate world hunger, combat global warming, strengthen communities, and improve the surrounding air, soil, and water. FTPF programs strategically donate orchards where the harvest will best serve communities for generations, at places such as public schools, city parks, low-income neighborhoods, Native American reservations, and international hunger relief sites. FTPF’s unique mission, which has been featured in major publications across the country, benefits the environment, human health, and community involvement—all at once! For more information, visit www.ftpf.org

The Victory Garden is located in Fairfield Hills off of Wasserman Way in Newtown. Look for dirctional signs to the Victory Garden Tree Planting and Harvest festival on the day of the event.

Contacts

Harvey Pessin, Newtown Victory Garden Site Manager (203-241-0301, harve9@yahoo.com)