This spring, FortWhyte is embarking on a whole new ambitious venture as part of its expanding FortWhyte Farms program that will generate lasting social and economic benefits for our community. Adding to its product mix of vegetables, raspberries, herbs, honey, beeswax candles, worm castings, and Shiitake mushrooms, the first phase of a planned 1500-tree Tribute Orchard will be planted in a deer-proof, 13-acre enclosure just north of our Bison Prairie. Our intent is to not only involve FortWhyte Farms’ at-risk youth in the care of Winnipeg’s first orchard, but offer its hardy plum, apple, and pear trees as a way for you to commemorate a life-event or pay lasting tribute to a loved one… a birth, death, wedding, graduation, retirement, anniversary… the choice is yours, and so is the fruit! A portion of your tree’s annual bounty would be your option to harvest and enjoy, while reflecting upon its special meaning to you and your family. A practical, lasting mode of inscription for each tree is currently being explored.
FortWhyte has been consulting with professional nurserymen at Shelmerdines, Aubin, and Jefferies Nurseries, to ensure we include only the hardiest of proven fruit tree varieties. We are also looking forward to having the ongoing advice of the ‘best practicing orchardist in Manitoba’ from the Baker Colony north of MacGregor!
Tribute Orchard trees are now available for a fully tax-deductible gift of $500, with $300 allocated to the critical early stages of nurturing. The remaining $200 balance of your gift will be endowed in perpetuity to cover yearly maintenance of the mature orchard. Fully subscribed, this one-of-a-kind living tribute project will have established a $300,000 Community Tribute Orchard Endowment, bearing annual ‘fruit’ for such maintenance… forever.
We sincerely hope that you and our extended FortWhyte Family embrace this project and join in the annual harvest of fruit and your memories of this special place.
If you would like to support this project today, please check out the FortWhyte Alive website: http://www.fortwhyte.org/
About FortWhyte Alive
FortWhyte Alive is dedicated to providing programming, natural settings and facilities for environmental education and outdoor recreation. In so doing, FortWhyte promotes awareness and understanding of the natural world and actions leading to sustainable living.
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