Recent Posts

2026 Annual Business Meeting – Sunday, February 15

2026 Annual Business Meeting – Sunday, February 15

Event Description: The Club’s annual potluck business meeting day is Sunday, February 15, 2026. What better way to chase away the winter chill than with a steaming bowl of homemade soup? Our annual business meeting will begin with our annual Soup Bowl Luncheon. Potluck hot 

2026 Grafting Workshop Sunday March 29

2026 Grafting Workshop Sunday March 29

Event Description: Find out what grafting fruit trees is all about.  Learn the whys and hows with experienced grafters.  A variety of member donated scion wood will be available.  The purpose of the grafting workshop is to learn how to graft. Nonmember beginners will learn 

Illinois Beginning Orchard Academy – Spring 2026

Illinois Beginning Orchard Academy – Spring 2026

The University of Illinois Extension is offering a six-week online training series designed for aspiring and current commercial fruit growers. This course covers everything from site selection and orchard design to pruning, pest management, and marketing your harvest. Learn the essentials for growing apples, peaches, 

Fruit Tree Pruning Fundamentals Virtual Workshop – December 17, 2025

Fruit Tree Pruning Fundamentals Virtual Workshop – December 17, 2025

The University of Illinois Extension is offering this comprehensive apple tree pruning workshop where you can discover the essential skills that separate thriving orchards from struggling trees. This class will teach you the science and artistry behind proper pruning, empowering you to maximize your harvest 

Order Rootstock for 2026

Order Rootstock for 2026

Attending a grafting workshop is one of the principal educational benefits of being a fruit explorer. We will NOT have extras of most of these roots at the workshops so order 2 or 3 times as many trees as you think you have space for. 

Cider Social – Sunday November 2, 2025

Cider Social – Sunday November 2, 2025

Cider Press Available to Members at Ben Warlick’s House After years of excellent Cider Socials at Al Cosnow’s house, we have a new venue for 2025—Ben Warlick has offered to host the Cider Social this year at his garage. Thanks, Ben for stepping up! Event 

CBG Harvest Festival Volunteers

CBG Harvest Festival Volunteers

This is the largest event for generating revenue and attracting new members. We need a good number of volunteers to make this happen. What does volunteering entail? Setup Day Michael Zost volunteers to drive to several farms in Indiana to get all of the apples 

Members Gather at Summer Picnic

Members Gather at Summer Picnic

MidFex members come from Wisconsin around the Lake over to Michigan. This year club members gathered for our annual Summer Picnic just south of the Illinois-Wisconsin border at the Rudawski family farm near Harvard, Illinois. Turning off the gravel road and up the hill to 

2025 Harvest Festival – October 18-19

2025 Harvest Festival – October 18-19

Event Description: The Fall Harvest Festival at the Chicago Botanic Gardens is our largest public event, fund raiser, and membership drive all rolled into one.  It’s a fun exciting experience and a great opportunity to socialize and network with MidFExers while learning the virtues of 

Heirloom fest at the Chicago Botanic Garden 2025

Heirloom fest at the Chicago Botanic Garden 2025

MidFEx has been invited to participate in the Chicago Botanic Garden’s Heirloom Fest on August 23-24. This is the third year we have been asked to participate by the Garden, and is a great opportunity to recruit new members and show off our Club to