The event starts at noon on October 14, 2023, with the outdoor potluck (dress accordingly).  Please bring your own chair, table service and a dish to pass be it some fresh fruit or nuts from your place, a dish you like to make regardless of its fruity or nutty-ness, something you might pick up from the store, or, if all of this and the new COVID variant make you nervous, please bring a sack lunch or arrive about 1:00, after lunch…we aim to accommodate all and to try to keep everyone healthy!  If you are feeling ill that day, please do not take a chance at infecting others; please stay home.

We will then have a short business meeting (think about topics you would like for the Spring Meeting; we already have a speaker for a mycorrhizal presentation and maybe should have someone speaking about trees?).  After serious business we will have some monkey business with the fundraising auction and then, YAY, the FARM TOUR!  We will meet rain or shine, so come and bring a friend.

Also, if you have some nut variety that looks great and would like to compare it to others, please bring 10 nuts in a labeled bag or box and hand them to me.  We will be doing a nut evaluation for the 2023 nut-year.  Your sample will be cracked and compared to the others.  Results will be shared at the Spring Meeting.

We are grateful to Levi, Amelia and family for hosting us.   If you are interested in hosting in the future, please let me know.

Amelia created this beautiful image for the event:

If you have any questions about directions, please reach out to either Levi or me.  His house number does not work on most online map systems, they direct you several miles away…go figure!  Their home is on the north side of M-36 where Dutton Road goes north from M-36.  If you are coming from the east, their home is 3.6 miles west, on M-36, of Gregory, MI.

If you plan to be on M-52 on the way to the Clark home, M-36 heads east off from M52; go east 3.9 miles to their home.  If you come from the east and find yourself in Gregory, at the corner gas station, the Clarks are 3.6 miles west on M-36 at Dutton Road.

I have looked at the online maps and seem to have fairly good luck programming 18900 Dutton Road, Gregory, MI into the map programs.  It gets me onto Dutton Road and just north of the Clark’s house.  As you can see in the poster, their home is a brick, 2-story.  I believe that if I can get GPS to have me drive by it, I should be able to choose it from other houses (they are very rural, so only 1 house at the corner of Dutton and M-36!).  18900 Dutton Road is NOT their address, but it is very close to their house.  If you have difficulties getting there, you might try the Dutton Road address.

More information will be coming with the MNFGA News closer to the date.

I look forward to seeing all who can attend!  😊 

Dennis Strahle

MNFGA President

517-204-8600