Barkslip's
Fruit School

6th Annual Barkslip's Fruit school

Spring 2012

Barkslip’s University of Diversity

“Making a World of Difference”

What genius came up with the idea to spray deadly chemicals on our food anyway?  An “agri”-culture that is healthy for the environment is ours for the sharing. Find out how to cultivate fruit and nut trees without poisons, and in return receive abundance, good health, beauty, and happiness, in a way that makes real economic sense. Let’s begin to implement agriculture as an art of nurturing our environment and enhancing ecological diversity for generations to come. 

Put plainly, be prepared for postulations about pomological possibilities, purpose, production, preferences, proliferation, propagation, politics, position and planting preparation, in public places, protection, pests, pruning, picking, peddling, and processing all  put into practice!
Just imagine…propagating your own plant material for little or no expense?...transforming fully grown established, barren, ornamental trees into fruit producing mega giants with 40 different varieties in 3 years? "Ridiculous.... absurd... How is this possible?!!!"

For class info go to: "Schedule" in the menu

!New this year!

Advanced Fruit School

This is an opportunity for Fruit school grads or others that possess a proficiency of the basics can expand their facilities for deeper exploration of fruit culture. Offered in Asheville, NC and Union, WV. Check out the new classes.

Internship opportunities click here?

We will be accepting inquiries to apprentice either in the nursery in Asheville until the 1st of April, and/or then at our farm- Talking Hill Farm in Union, West Virginia through October.

Who is this guy Professor Barkslip?

He began his fruit career at the age of 18 as an apple picker in Washington state, and lead a picker's strike in a 500 acre orchard that provided better conditions for the workers, and has been wreaking havoc on convention ever since. He picked 5 subsequent seasons in various conventional and organic commercial orchards in Washington State and West Virginia, finally homesteading in West Virginia where he planted 2 acres of pears in 1987. He has raised these trees organically and markets the pears regionally. For seven years during this time he worked as a Vaudeville performer in the US, Canada, Europe, and Australia where he developed his interactive presentation skills.

Since 2004, as a community volunteer, he has initiated and organized stewardship of the five edible parks in Asheville, with an emphasis on community building and outreach to schools. He presently works his micro-nursery and urban permaculture site in Asheville; manages his pear orchard and genome demonstration orchard on his farm in West Virginia; and teaches and consults around the regional south east. He earned a one year degree in agriculture at Sterling College in 1983. and completed his Permaculture Design Course in 2007 and is the inventor and maker of the travel violin, Wiplstix.

"Fruit is the only food that wants to be eaten"

- Tom Robbins