With a last-minute reminder to volunteers ready to plant small fruit trees Saturday, October 5, Victory Garden Founder Harvey Pessin asked participants to bring a long handled round faced shovel for planting the trees, and if possible, a metal rake for spreading mulch.

With an early glimpse at the trees which were in town and ready for planting on Friday, October 4, he said, “They’re quite beautiful.”

He advised those ready to set the trees in the ground, “Make sure your tools are well marked.” Volunteers should arrive at Fairfield Hills at 9:45 am and the planting will begin at 10 am.

There will be an introductory demonstration before the planting, and a more advanced demonstration afterward on fruit tree care for those volunteers who are taking home fruit trees of their own (30 trees). All volunteers are invited to attend one or both lectures. The tree give-away is at noon, and the tree care workshop, open to all, is at 12:30 pm.

The trees will fill in an area inside the Victory Garden fencing to accommodate the new trees. The Victory Garden, a volunteer community effort, donates all produce to Newtown’s food pantries.

To celebrate the garden’s harvest, volunteers are welcome to a harvest festival celebration at 11 am, and to bring food for their own tables. Outfunked will perform live music.

The Parks and Recreation Department will be setting up a tent and bringing picnic tables. If possible, volunteers should bring additional folding tables and chairs. Volunteers are also welcome to decorate The Victory Garden area with traditional fall décor — corn stalks, pots of mums, or any other fall festive symbols. 

The trees are made available to the garden thanks to the Fruit Tree Planting Foundation (FTPF) of Pittsburgh, PA, Metropolitan State University of St. Paul, MN, and Inver Hills Community College of St. Paul MN, in partnership with the Newtown Parks & Recreation Department to provide a source of sustainable fruit harvest at the Victory Garden.

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

The Victory Garden is a 20,000 square foot all volunteer garden that has provided more than  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.