Grisman plays for Common Vision

On November 5th of 2010, Common Vision was blessed to have the David Grisman Quintet play for a Fruit Tree Tour benefit.

Slicing the Ground for Another 500-Tree Orchard

Just before the fall rains, the M.A. Center began implementing a second 500-tree orchard that they have been designing with Common Vision, Dr. Elaine Ingham, and Darren Doherty. The design calls for a 2 year soil building program before the trees are planted. After smoothing out the access to the new Lotus Pond Orchard, the area has been sliced on a keyline pattern to infiltrate every last drop of water that falls on the 3 acres. The area was seeded with clover and a soil building mix to fix nitrogen and add biomass to the soil.

Engaging Underground Allies

In the past 3 years Common Vision has worked with GreenFriends to develop a permaculture design the 380-acre property of the MA Center in Castro Valley.

Under the guidance of Dr. Elaine Ingham, expert in soil microlife, we have been working to create a rich soil that functions biologically like a forest soil. Forests have the most complex populations of microorganism dominated by fungi as opposed to grassy hillsides which are have much simpler populations that are primarily bacterial.

By adding over 450 cubic yards of decomposing wood chips, inoculated with a great diversity of microorganisms and fed with fungal foods (like fish and seaweed), we are quickly building a forest-like soil. The result of this bottom-up approach is much healthier trees, deeper penetrating root systems, lower watering needs, and little to no fertilizing needs.

We will keep you abreast of further developments.

Mapping 180 School Orchards

As part of Fruit Tree Tour 2011, Common Vision is expanding our tree care support for school orchards. To get a good picture of the 180 planting sites from 7 years of the tour, we plugged the schools into a Google Map. Here we get a birds eye view of a 4,200-tree orchard spread through the state. It's an interactive map so click around.


View Larger Map

Best of 2010 Slideshow

Green Theater Performance !!! Fruit Tree TV: Episode #7

Oceano Elementary | Fruit Tree TV: Episode #6

"High School Mentors" Program Models

Many high schools have done the Fruit Tree Tour program 'out-of-the-box'. Even the Green Theater performacnce, which is geared towards younger audiences, has been a great success with a range of high schools. That said, the high school programs that stand out in 7 years of the tour have added a dynamic mentorship piece that Common Vision is interesting in proliferating.

Here's how it works.

1. Common Vision educators train the high school students in the art and science of tree planting and the related social, environmental, and biological talking points.

2. High students (paired with a Common Vision educator) lead tree plantings either with another local school or with a surrounding neighborhood community.


Jefferson High in South Los Angeles ~ Neighborhood Planting



In this episode of Fruit Tree TV, Common Vision volunteers take to the streets to assist Jefferson High students in meeting their neighbors and planting trees in their neighborhood. Common Vision works with Jefferson High's Green Design Academy in South Los Angeles in a unique community outreach tree planting project.


Environmental Charter High ~ Planting with local Elementary




In this episode, Common Vision works with the Environmental Charter High School Students Council. In the morning the Fruit Tree Tour crew trains the high schoolers in tree planting and the art of leading a 'tree group.' In the afternoon, Common Vision and the High school leaders walked together to neighboring elementary school where the high school youth took engaged 100 4th graders in planting an orchard on their campus.

This was one of the most inspiring days in Fruit Tree Tour History.

Building Community in LA with Jefferson High | Episode #5

In this episode of Fruit Tree TV, Common Vision volunteers take to the streets to assist Jefferson High students in meeting their neighbors and planting trees in their neighborhood. Common Vision works with Jefferson High's Green Design Academy in South Los Angeles in a unique community outreach tree planting project.

Eco Hip Hop: Can We Plant it?

2008 was the first year Common Vision had a live band backing the Eco-Hip-Hop finale for our Green Theater performance. Here is a studio cut of "Can we plant it?"





If the flash audio player is not working on your browser you can Click Here .

HIgh School Eco Leaders: Fruit Tree TV: Episode #4

In this episode, Common Vision works with the Environmental Charter High School Students Council. In the morning the Fruit Tree Tour crew trains the high schoolers in tree planting and the art of leading a 'tree group.' In the afternoon, Common Vision and the High school leaders walked together to neighboring elementary school where the high school youth took engaged 100 4th graders in planting an orchard on their campus.

This was one of the most inspiring days in Fruit Tree Tour History.

What an amazing two weeks!

The first week of Fruit Tree Tour in Santa Cruz, Watsonville, and Fresno was packed with planting and inspiration. Plantings included 3 elementary schools and 4 head start programs.

The second week in Los Angeles has so far been as powerful and impactful as any in Fruit Tree Tour history. On Monday, we work with the Green Ambassadors and Environmental Charter High School where Common Vision served as mentors for 40 high school leaders. After 2 hours of tree planting training, the high schools and the Fruit Tree Tour crew walked to a local elementary school. The high school students then led the tree planting with a group of 100 4th graders. Fruit Tree TV episode on this planting is coming soon.

The last three days have included 3 elementary schools, 1,100 students, and 55 fruit trees planted in Compton and Pacific Palisades.

Here is a slide show with highlights from the from the tour so far.

Step into the Freezer: Fruit Tree TV Episode #3

Fruit Tree TV: MA Center | Episode #2

Fruit Tree TV: Episode #1

Coming Soon ~ Fruti Tree TV

Best 8-second Interview Ever

After a planting at a San Francisco Boys and Girls Club in Hunters point, a girl with hands dirty from planting a Pink Lady apple shares her feelings. Wow!




If the flash audio player is not working on your browser you can Click Here .

This is a link for making payments for the 2014 Soil Food Web
course with Elaine Ingham from March 17-21. 
Your Email from Michael@commonvision.org should have payment amount.
(Healthcare Charities is the umbrella org for GreenFriends Farm at M.A. Center)

Century-old fruit trees

At 3000' in the foothills of the Sierra Mountains there once were gold mining towns of 2,000-4,000 people scattered throughout the hills. These towns had orchards to feed the people apples, pears, plums, cherries, and figs.

100 years later, the people are gone, few structures remain... But scattered throughout the area, hundreds of these trees remain. Today, Michael Flynn had the good fortune to tour the area with Amigo Bob, a long time leader in the organic movement and a dedicated fruit historian.

What does this have to do with Fruit Tree Tour?

We cut scion from these old trees and Common Vision will be propogating hundreds of trees to plant at schools across northern California. From the oldest trees in the United States of these varieties to the youngest fruit tree planters in the state, Common Vision is honored to be a bridge for this history and sweet fruit.

The 100+ year cherry tree with a rainbow behind is one of these grandma trees we climbed today.