Biggs Orchard to Rain Fruit

First planted in 2009, Biggs Elementary's orchard just finished its third summer in the ground.  In September 2011, Common Vision came to support with tree care, training for the caretakers, planting some new varieties, and collecting the stories of a school that has really grown the inspiration planted with the Fruti Tree Tour program.

Fall Tour Slide Show

Gathering the New Crew

The new crew getting ready to get on the bus.  

Animals in the Orchard

Common Vision is stoked to announce that Chris Kerston will be joing the Holisitc Management course. He is leading the Saturday evening's session "Animals in the Orchard" describing the farming operations at Chaffin Family Orchards, a 3,000 acre organic olive, stone fruit, beef, egg, and broiler operation that is one of the top examples of animal-integrated agriculture in the US.

The Holistic Management course will be taught by Kirk Gadzia of the Savory Institute and will run from September 9-11.

> More Info and Register

Follow Chris on a tour of the 3,000 acres of Chaffin Family Orchards:

Holistic Management Intensive

Holistic Management is an essential tool for sustainably managing farms, organizations, and, households in a profitable and resource enhancing engagement of the land.
Common Vision is honored to join forces with GreenFriends Farm at the M.A. Center to make this course available.

> Click here for more info and registration

Thank you GreenFriends Farm, Savory Institute, Biologic Systems, and Living Mandala
!

Fall Tour 2011

September 17-30th
Ukiah, Big Bend, Shasta, Chico, and Nevada City

Common Vision will work with 8 schools and 2 community sites to plant 200 Fruit Trees across Northern California. We are excited for this Northern California focused tour to reach a new area of the state and share this community-transforming experience with our rural neighbors.

9/21 -Wed -   La Vida Charter School - Ukiah
9/23  - Fri - Mountain Union School - Big Bend
9/23 -Fri- Indian Springs School- Big Bend
9/24  -Sat - Big Bend Community Planting - Big Bend Hot Springs
9/25 -Sun- Chaffin Family Orchards - Oroville
26th - Mon - Blue Oak School - Chico
27th  - Tues -Biggs Elementary- Chico Area
28th - Wed - Deer Creek Elementary - Nevada City
29th - Thur -  Forest Charter School (Tentative) - Nevada City
29th  - Thurs - Community Planting @ Forever Flowering - Nevada City

Fruit Tree Tour will plant varieties including apple, pear, plum, fig, persimmon, and cherry among others. Fruit Tree Tour typically travels the state for two months each spring with an Emmy Award-winning green theater troupe onboard, but this fall’s special tour will focus exclusively on putting new orchards in the ground and bringing art into the new orchards with sign paining.   It also marks Fruit Tree Tour's furthest foray into remote regions of rural Northern California.

Since 2004, the all-volunteer crew of modern-day Johnny Appleseeds has directly impacted over 85,000 students and planted nearly 5,000 fruit trees at public schools and community centers throughout California, mostly in junk food jungles and other areas classified as urban food deserts due to a lack of local access to fresh fruits and vegetables.

Loving up the big trees!

Nutritional Justice | Fruit Tree TV 2011 | Episode #5

Arts Education | Fruit Tree TV 2011 | Episode #4

11-Day L.A. Intensive

The Los Angeles leg of Fruit Tree Tour 2011 was packed deep with 11 school plantings and 2 community plantings.

"Hey Johnny Appleseed"

This one apple tree now has 6 varieties of apples on it. Interestingly enough Johnny appleseed was not know for his grafting of good eating varieties of apples, but rather his seedling crab apples used for hard cider. To see more ways that Fruit Tree Tour is both different than and similar to ole Johnny Appleseed check this old post.

What BP Doesn't Want You to Know | Fruit Tree TV 2011 | Episode #3

Follow the Tour

Exotic Fruit for So Cal Schools

Plant, Paint, Perform | Fruit Tree TV 2011 | Episode #2

How many kids? Lots of kids.

Lakeside Middle School in San Diego County puts in a hillside orchard.

Our office has a citrus forest

Drip for every tree!

Will Rogers Elementary in Ventura

Pre-tour Mania | Fruit Tree TV 2011 | Episode #1

The 2011 Crew says Hi!

Fruit Trees by Air

Come, fly the route that the world's largest veggie-oil powered caravan will travel for this the 8th annual Fruit Tree Tour. Starting in 15 days, 20 volunteers will begin an adventure to inspire another 10,000 students and plant another 600 fruit trees.