Come celebrate the fall apple season by learning more about this exceptional local fruit. Join University of Illinois Extension's Local Foods and Small Farms Educator, Grant McCarty, for the Growing Great Apples program. This program is being offered free of charge, but pre-registration is requested. 

In this presentation, you'll learn about general production of apples, new and unique varieties, rootstocks, seasonal issues encountered in 2024, insect challenges, harvesting, and preparing your trees for winter. This program is for those currently growing apples or wanting to add trees for a small orchard as well as those interested in learning more about apple production in Northern Illinois.

"Apple orchards thrive in Northern Illinois. From family-owned, u-pick orchards to trees in the backyard, these fruit trees regularly yield well with a wide range of different varieties,” McCarty states. “While they do well most years, they still can have challenges like biennial fruiting and insects/diseases. So, management is key for getting great yields”.