Today in the orchard
Today was the Seed Swap & Scion Exchange at MOFGA in Unity. It’s an annual event that dates back over 40 years and typically draws a mob of wildly enthusiastic plant geeks from throughout Maine and beyond.
Seed Swap & Scion Exchange, 2025
The idea is simple: to share scions and seeds. You bring what you have, and you take whatever you like. Admission is free, and there’s no obligation to bring anything with you. There are grafting supplies, rootstock and miscellaneous odds and ends for sale (donuts this year), but the Scion Exchange has mostly remained true to its original intent: the free and generous sharing of information and plant material.
The Scion Exchange which is usually held the last Sunday in March was delayed due to weather by a week. Even with the postponement, the long tables were piled with scions of hundreds of varieties of apples, pears and other fruits. There were educational displays and workshops. Skilled grafters were custom grafting trees right on the spot. What a perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon early spring.
