Today was the Scionwood Exchange, the annual grafting Lovefest at MOFGA in Unity. Long tables are piled with scions of dozens of cultivars of apples, pears, plums and more. Other tables are loaded down with seeds of all sorts. All for free. Bring something to share. Take what you want. There is also rootstock and grafting supplies for sale as well as custom grafting on the spot with scionwood and rootstock of your choice. The event begins at noon and runs until 4 PM. When I arrived a few minutes after 12:00, there were already several hundred people packed into the MOFGA exhibition hall. Quite the scene.
Old-timers at the Scion Exchange, March 29, 2026
The best thing about the Scion Exchange is that over half the attendees are young people. The future. Pass the baton. Pass the torch. Pass the scion. The second best thing is seeing the old geezers who come to hang out and chat about the really, really olden days. The best of both worlds right in the same spot. How lucky can you get? If only the angry world could see the joy on the faces of five hundred happy grafters. Maybe it should be a requirement in school: learn to graft.
On the homefront, the highlight today was a bluebird at our suet feeder, about 18” from our kitchen sink window. So beautiful. A first.