Learn how the HOEC volunteer honeybee keepers divided a colony and monitored the health of hives

A guide to getting your tree into the ground.
So you bought a fruit tree and managed to get it home unharmed. Congratulations on your new arrival! Now what?

Enhance your dating profile, become confused about what a banana is, and leave with some mouth watering recipes!

What’s that, you say? A Gummy Bear-y?! Not quite. We’re talking about the next best thing– this shrubby perennial from our edible landscaping section here at HOEC!

DID YOU THINK WINTER WAS A TIME OF REST?
Lace up your waterproof boots, and dig out your warmest gloves, because we’re climbing right in and won’t be stopping until bud break!

Suggestions from real people in your local orcharding community? Yes please! Nothing for sale here, no affiliate links to effect these recommendations, just good old fashioned sharing of favorites.

An easy to grow native berry, Aronia has been used by Indigenous Peoples for many centuries as an important superfood and potent medicine.

Mason Bees! Time to harvest, sort, sanitize, disinfect, store, & release! But why mess with nature?

Save seed & grow your own! Tastes like a delicious banana persimmon custard with spring blossoms that sometimes smell like rotting meat? Don’t be afraid!

Slow-food magic, fruity medieval lore, & a compilation of creative quince recipes you won't want to miss!

Spirits, Mischief, Medicine, & Recipes! Growing, using, pruning, & cooking- wahoo!

In this post we focus on problems you are most likely to encounter in this region along with some basic remedies and preventative measures.

Learn about one of our favorite, lesser known berries and snag a few new creative beverage and vinegar recipes!

So many blooms, so many fruitlets! Learn how and why hand thinning of fruitlets will help your harvest! Come along - it’s easy we promise!

Get the most out of your apple harvest! Proper produce storage is easy to learn as long as you keep these three things in mind….

One of the most troublesome of all apple and pear pests an organic orchardist might expect to encounter is the CODLING MOTH aka Cydia pomonella. If you only learn about one orchard pest this year, let it be this one.

Spotlight on Spotted Wing Drosophila. Monitor, Trap, and Control Infestation Using Organic Growing Practices.

A Versatile DIY Tool That Can Extend The Growing Season & Protect Your Plants From Critters & Weather Extremes!

The One Way Anchor Wire Vice.

A magical little piece of hardware that will simplify your trellis build and keep your support wires tight.

Do you know how to identify FRUIT BUDS on your apple and pear trees? Knowing where your tree plans to produce fruit is an important first step when it comes to pruning!