We enthusiastically promote successful and responsible fruit growing throughout Vashon Island.

Ah, the luxury of picking perfectly ripe pears from your own tree or growing juicy heirloom tomatoes more flavorful than anything you can find at the grocery store!

If this is your idea of pleasure, then this Club is for you. We are here to help you learn which varieties are best suited for Vashon-Maury Island and to provide you with the information and skills you need to successfully grow and care for your trees, bushes, or plants. Whether you are interested in planting a large orchard, a small patch of strawberries, or just tending a few blueberry bushes on your deck, the Club can help you on your journey.

As an education-focused organization, our primary purpose is to provide learning opportunities for the greater Vashon community. So I would like to invite you to join us at one of our local events. We frequently host orchard tours, where you can learn which varieties local orchard owners grow and how they care for them as well as hands-on pruning and grafting workshops lead by club members who are very experienced in the field. Are you interested in making cider but don’t know where to start? We are now home to the VIFC Cider Guild which meets quarterly to exchange ideas and provide hands-on learning opportunities for amateur cider makers. To stay up to date with our events and receive seasonal tips you can sign up for our monthly newsletters.

Don’t forget that the Dr. Bob Norton Memorial Orchard on Sunrise Ridge is open every second and fourth Wednesday of the month from 10-12:30. There you will find Orchard Manager Emily MacRae, Orchard Specialist Laure Jansen and a team of orchard volunteers, busy at work. What Emily and Laure don’t know about growing fruit on Vashon is not worth knowing.

As social beings, we also like to meet and learn from each other. Our most popular events are the Summer Picnic with Candy’s famous barbecued salmon in August, Cider Fest in October, and the Holiday Social in December.

Come join us!

Fruitfully yours,

Lotta Gavel Adams, Former VIFC President