Summer is here, the fruit is ripening, and we are looking forward to attending some shows and events this year. The Great Yorkshire Show is taking place from 13th-16th July and we will be there. It will have a slightly different format this year, because of the ongoing situation, so we will not be able to have our usual display of soft fruit but we will be there so why not come along and say hello. More details of this, and future events, can be found in our July newsletter.
We have just been informed that the Harrogate spring show has been put back and will now take place May 20-23 2021. They are planning a scaled back version of the normal show, but we will still be there.
Our Annual General Meeting, scheduled for Saturday November 7, cannot be held in the current circumstances. We have been investigating holding it on ‘Zoom’, but there seems to be little enthusiasm among members for this, so the Executive Committee has decided simply to continue with its present membership, and the existing subscription levels (these being the two main items for decision by the AGM) until circumstances permit otherwise. We hope to have an up-date on future activities in the January Newsletter.
All of our Autumn Events have been cancelled and we are particularly sorry to lose the Apple Festival where we show the public some of the many apple varieties grown in the area. We would also normally offer to name the variety for apples brought in by the public, but sadly this cannot take place.
Looking further in to the future, we hope to be able to run winter pruning courses, but will have to wait and see if the popular grafting courses can be run.
Our October newsletter should be reaching members any day now and Jean has pulled together another 40 page delight to keep you entertained as the nights pull in. Alongside our regular features we have listened to requests from newer members and gone back to basics, starting with choosing apple trees.
Unfortunately our annual fruit show, due to take place in September, is the latest casualty of the ongoing situation and has had to be cancelled for this year.
At the moment we are still waiting to find out whether the apple event will happen at the end of October but will let you know if there are any changes to the details already published in the newsletter.
We are still hopeful that the meeting and AGM in November will be able to go ahead as planned.
In the July newsletter our chairperson asked for your thoughts and suggestions on the direction for the group moving forward. Some suggestions have already been put forward, and we will be working out how to incorporate these, but if you have any more ideas please let us know before the deadline for the next newsletter which is the 10th September.
Despite all the other difficulties at the moment, nature seems to be giving us a bumper fruit harvest this year so all of us with access to gardens, allotments or even a few pots do at least have something to cheer us.
Our July newsletter is almost ready to go to the printers and should reach members at the beginning of July. If you are not a member you can get a taste of what we do by looking at some of our past newsletters, just follow the link at the side of this page.
Newsletter
No 91 July 2020
I’m pretty confident that none of us fruit growers, allotmenteers and gardeners have had time to be bored during lockdown, but if you do have the odd hour on your hands, how about writing a contribution to the next Newsletter? It’s due for publication in early July, and contributions should be sent to the Editor by June 10, please.
The April newsletter is with the printers and should be sent out to members very soon. Our newsletter editor has had a difficult time pulling all the information together for this one, as events were moving quickly and future plans having to be changed almost daily. As a result the ‘diary and forthcoming events’ section will most likely have changed again by the time you receive it so we will try to post any changes and updates here and on our facebook page as they happen.
This is the situation as of 29th March:
Shows and events – all shows and events are cancelled up to and including the Great Yorkshire Show. At the moment the RHS still has the Tatton Park Flower Show scheduled for the 22nd – 25th July but this may change, we are due to have a stand at the show if it goes ahead. The next NFG event will be our annual fruit show in September.
Meetings the next meeting for Northern Fruit Group members will be the AGM in November.
Teaching Gardens with the likelihood of even more restrictions being introduced both sites have been closed down and readied for a period of inactivity.
Meteorological spring began on the first of March and the new growing season is fast approaching. The early blossom is out and we are busy planning ahead for our shows and events over the coming few months. 
There will be full details in your April newsletter and if you have any articles or information for inclusion they need to reach the newsletter editor by 10th March. The newsletter should reach all members during the first week in April, if you are not yet a member click on the link on this page for details.
A New Year and a new growing season is just round the corner, we would like to wish everyone a happy and productive 2020. For members, annual subscriptions are now due, if you do not renew by direct debit, you can find a form which was enclosed with the October newsletter or click on the link at the side of the page to go to the membership forms.
Your January newsletter will be arriving in the next couple of weeks with details of all our activities and courses over the next few months. There is also a range of interesting articles covering everything from new ideas in growing blueberries, a report on the progress of the blueberry trial, ideas for labels that don’t fade, a look back at a gardeners diaries from the past, the results of one members eco friendly war on beasties, more on the history of apples and even something about growing kiwi fruit. Plenty to keep you amused while the long dark evenings continue.
