On June 1st, MLF founder Ken Jewett and his wife Edie welcomed the University of Guelph to their farm in Mulmur Township.
The planting crew – from left to right: Shelley Hunt, Rene Van Acker, Edie Jewett, Mike Fisher, Ken Jewett and Carl Mansfield. Momentarily distracted – Ken’s Golden Lab, Amie.
Prof. Shelley Hunt, the director of the Arboretum and Rene Van Acker, professor and Dean (external) of the Ontario Agricultural College were introduced by Mary Lou Cairney, Senior Development Manager, College of Social and Applied Human Sciences. Also in attendance were Mike Fisher, Woodlot Manager for the Maple Leaves Forever properties in Mulmur and Carl Mansfield, Arboreal Consultant to Maple Leaves Forever.
The focus of the visit was the delivery and planting of a young, disease resistant white elm tree that had been grown at the Arboretum. This specimen was produced at the Arboretum by grafting a tissue cultured, disease resistant plant onto a hardy, disease resistant root stock and monitoring its development in a controlled environment at the Arboretum.
The young disease resistant white elm tree planted in its new home with rodent protective collar set in place.
The tree is the result of work initiated by Henry Koch, a horticulturalist and teacher at the University of Guelph’s Arboretum, where he founded the Elm Recovery Program.
Following the tree planting, Edie and Ken invited the group to share lunch with them and to visit their country home. Conversations over lunch, led to Shelly confirming the Arboretum’s and her personal interest in providing additional elm trees for planting on Ken’s property as part of a field study project in partnership with the Arboretum.
Written by Carl Mansfield, Arboreal Consultant, Maple Leaves Forever
Setup and Editing by Mary Bella, Webmaster & Communications, Maple Leaves Forever