Home grown, home made: Half-Moon Rising Fruit, Nut, and Berry Orchard Tour with Luke Gascho

Curious about the fruit trees you have seen biking south from Goshen College? The trees are Luke Gascho’s and part of a diverse, regenerative agriculture orchard system. Join us Saturday, October 17 at 2:00pm or 3:30pm for a tour and chance to learn more about Half-Moon Rising Fruit, Nut, and Berry Orchard!

We will meet at the orchard and highly encourage arrival by bike or on foot! There will be a tour starting at 2pm and another at 3:30 so be sure to mark the time that works best for you.

Luke has been gardening since his childhood in Minnesota and brought his passion for growing quality foods into his work life as Executive Director of Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center for 22 years. Last year Luke retired from his formal role as an educator, but we are excited to have him back teaching on his home turf!

Luke says of his orchard system, “Half-Moon Rising Fruit, Nut and Berry Orchard emerged out of my reading and attending workshops on regenerative agriculture. The plan is modeled after a healthy forest system that has taller and medium height trees, bushes, and vines. The result is an edible forest of nuts, berries and fruit. The diversity of plants in the orchard creates a more robust ecosystem. This is enhanced by using a holistic approach to pest management. My orchard consists of two half-acre areas — one planted in 2014 and one in 2019.”