Our Virtual Apple Tasting 2024 was a wonderful success! All 50 tickets sold out, and attendees joined us for an unforgettable evening of apple exploration and learning.
Hosted by Susan Poizner, a volunteer from the Ben Nobleman Park Community Orchard and the creator of the fruit tree care education website OrchardPeople.com, the event featured two incredible experts:
• Dr. Amy Bowen, Director of Consumer, Sensory & Market Insights at Vineland Research and Innovation Centre, taught us how to evaluate apples like pros.
• Rachael LeBlanc, apple breeder and research scientist at Vineland, shared the fascinating process of developing new apple varieties.
We also had warm welcoming comments from Julia Girmenia of Not Far From the Tree, and from Toronto-St.Paul’s MPP Jill Andrews.
While the event was virtual, the apples were real and participants picked up this unique and curated collection on the Saturday before the event. Thank you to the Not Far From The Tree team who manned the table!
All the apples were packaged up in a snazzy Not Far From The Tree, reusable canvas bag.
During the zoom call we all tasted six exclusive, yet-to-be-released apple varieties provided by Vineland Research. The evening ended with a vote, and Apple #1 and Apple #2 were crowned the favourites! The event was both fun and informative, sparking lively conversations in the Zoom chat.
Feedback from our community has been overwhelmingly positive. Courtney emailed us with this beautiful comment:
“Just wanted to say thank you again for the absolutely wonderful seminar! I had a great time. So much fun, so interesting to taste the difference between the apples, and I also really enjoyed the eccentric and knowledgeable people who attended!
Karen, a senior who joined with friends from her residence, said:
“We loved the idea of a Zoom tasting! Without a doubt, Apple #1 was our favorite, and the others, while good, didn’t appeal as much to our senior palates. The sweet notes won us over! It was truly like a wine-tasting session. Most of us were delighted to learn about the herbaceous notes, the citrus aroma, and the undertones of honey. We ended the evening with decaf coffee and warm apple pie. It was a hit, and we even raised $40 to donate to the park. Thanks for thinking of this!”
Thank you for all your hard work bringing this experience to us. I’m still thinking about it a week later!”
The event also garnered media attention, with Susan Poizner interviewed on CBC’s Metro Morning with David Common ahead of the event. You can listen to the 6 minute segment below.
Proceeds from this event are going to support Not Far From the Tree and The Ben Nobleman Park Community Orchard. We’re grateful to everyone who participated and made this event so special.
Want to join next year? Be sure to subscribe to our mailing list by emailing us at growingforgreen (at) gmail.com. Spots are limited, and tickets sell out fast!
Here’s to celebrating apples and community—see you in 2025!
Susan Poizner is one of the volunteers for The Ben Nobleman Park Community Orchard in Toronto. She is the creator of the fruit tree care education website OrchardPeople.com. Susan is the author of four fruit tree care books including Grow Fruit Trees Fast: A Beginner’s Guide to a Healthy Harvest in Record Time. She is also the host of the Orchard People podcast and an ISA Certified Arborist.