I read about the scion exchange with a great deal of envy. Living on the east coast makes it impossible to attend. I am sure there are many that would like to see what is happening there. A series of short videos of grafting etc. for the nation to see would very nice. Maybe someday there will be one on the east coast.
Host one in your area! I'm doing that, I learned to graft a year ago and now after having success I'm teaching and hosting a scionwood exchange. Here's the details......
Fruit Tree Grafting Class
Saturday March 6th
Noon - 2pm
Cost- $15 + Material fee for rootstocks
Scionwood Exchange
Saturday March 6th
2pm - 4pm
Cost - Free!!
Location & Contact for this event is...
Jim Lindemann
4259 Mahoney Rd
McFarland, WI
PH- (608)838-8206
email- jfl0102@yahoo.com
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Fruit Tree Grafting Class
Saturday March 20th
Noon - 2pm
Cost- $16
Scionwood Exchange
Saturday March 20th
2pm - 4pm
Cost - Free!!
Location & Contact for this event is...
UW Sheboygan Continuing Ed.
Sheboygan, WI
Details/ course catalog online -
http://www.sheboygan.uwc.edu/continuinged/
Ph- (920)459-6617
Its a little far away for you but my point is that you can do the same thing in your area. Even if you don't know how to graft a tree, find someone who does and have a scionwood exchange. Its all about promoting the event as well. I went online and found the WI apple growers site. I emailed every orchard on there. I've got several takers, some want to learn to graft and some want to come and trade scion. I almost didn't email them and was going to listen to that voice in my head "Why would they want to come to this? They already have orchard operations." Glad that voice was wrong. You never know unless you try.
Good Luck,
Little John
Gerry, I'll be looking out for your 20 Ounce and Wolf River.
Little John, I'll be looking out for for your Medlar and Quince. I have hardy figs that grow outside without die back.
Good luck with your first scion exchange. Post how it goes. I want to do one
next season on Long Island. I'll be back on the 11th.
I tried to set an exchange up in Federal Way a year back. Even ran off a dozen flyers and posted them around locally a few weeks in advance, as well as a few web announcements. Set up at the Library in Federal way. Attendance was abysmal, though at least I got 2-3 volunteers to hang out with me.
A shame so much scionwood went to waste.
We once had some killer exchanges within our HOS Chapters! We’d nearly fight over the left-over wood from the main event …being the main movers were in our chapter – we won! Later that week we’d hold a local exchange, in Yamhill County. Problem was, after several years of that -- everyone had far more material than they could use and began sounding like Pushers trying to keep the stuff from going to waste.
The good ol days! Now we’re back to just the one, which is crazy enough! At least this year it’s in ‘new territory’ – Hillsboro. Though I’ve feared it, we really don’t seem to super-saturate a neighborhood with our three-year stints… It appears people come from far and wide to attend.
But I can’t remember the darn new name! …the Fruit & Cutting Exchange.. (without looking)? Guess that’s a lot easier than describing what a “Scion†is … I’d long envisioned one of these - 
- a Battlestar Galactica Cylon
Had a laugh over that at the grafting classes, see ya at the Fair 
Idyllwild
jafar
Marsha H
Viron
John S
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