ORCHARD CELEBRATES 30 FRUITFUL YEARS
HOME ORCHARD SOCIETY GROWS APPLES, PAWPAWS, PERSIMMONS, GOUMI BERRIES, QUINCES AND MORE
Tonia Lordy and Clair Oliphant trim off excess fruits to improve the quality of the thriving fruits.
Tonia Lordy helps mason bees to reproduce.
STORY AND PHOTOS BY SHAYLYN STRUNA
Clackamas Community College bares its fruits.
There is an orchard on campus located at the
Arboretum, across from the Environmental Learning
Center. The college leases the land out to the Home
Orchard Society. The Arboretum is celebrating their
30th anniversary this year.
Tonia Lordy, manager of the Arboretum, said, “The
HOS is a non-profit organization that started in 1976 by
a group of Portland-area residents who were growing
their own fruit and wanted to share their knowledge
with other people.”
In 1986, the HOS came across CCC in search for
land, and were given an acre for an annual fee of $10 in
exchange for providing educational opportunities for
both students and the community.
Jonie Cooper became president of the HOS in 1988.
“ It’s to have an opportunity for people to come to the
Arboretum and learn about growing food in their own
yard or orchard. We want to enhance the availability so
that people can come and learn at the orchard,” said
Cooper.
The Arboretum is open to the community on Tuesdays
and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., year-round.
Every year, the HOS hosts an open house at the
Arboretum. This year it will be in August and will be a
potluck. Visit the website www.homeorchardsociety.org
8 Clackamas Prrt JUNE 1 2016 Ihedackamaspnrteom
to see an update of when the actual date is set.
HOS is a m em ber-based nonprofit and the board
consists of all volunteers. Lordy is contracted to manage
the grounds, train volunteers and develop educational
programming. There are internship opportunities
through the Cooperative Work Experience program
at CCC.
Throughout the year, classes such as pruning and
grafting are hosted at the Arboretum. They also teach
soil health, management and harvesting, among other
things. All of the classes are listed on the website. Some
classes are co-hosted through the college and will be
available at registration. The horticulture department has
a fruit and berry growing class offered during summer
term, which is held at the Arboretum.
Claire Oliphant, an intern at the orchard, said, “My goal
for this was to get the experience of actually running an
orchard. I really like coming here. It satisfies an itch.”
Oliphant interns every Tuesday and’does whatever
needs to be done. This includes pruning and grafting
but it changes every day due to the orchards need to
be healthy.
“ She’s [Lordy] a really great teacher. So every time
I’m here, I’m learning something new,” said Oliphant.
The orchard raises mason bees and sells them as a
fundraiser. The bees have a life expectancy of about eight
weeks. The Arboretum helps to keep them reproducing
on the grounds because they are considered a beneficial,
which is a bug that helps the plants thrive.
“There’s probably about 500 fruiting tree, shrubs and
vines in this Arboretum,” said Lordy.
There are about 200 different kinds of apples, 60 kinds
of European pears, 20 kinds of Asian pears and many
other fruits you’ve probably never heard of.
Lordy said, “ We have pawpaw which is a North
American native fruit that sort of has the texture of a
mango, but tastes like banana.”
Fruits and trees are also sold here. Price varies by the
fruit, apples run about $2 a pound and pears run about
$2.50 a pound.
Harvest season depends on the fruit. The honey berries
have been harvested, next will be plums, pears, apples,
grapes, persimmon, kiwi and quince. Harvest lasts
from May until November and all the fruits are grown
organically.
The Arboretum is also looking for photographers
and marketing students to work with, as well as art
students who may be looking to donate sculptures or
a paint mural.
If you’re looking to volunteer at the orchard, contact
Lordy at arboretum@homeorchardsociety.org.
Volunteers are sent home with a basket of fruit.