Kristel from Prairie Hardy Nursery

Kristel is co-owner of Prairie Hardy Nursery, an artisan mail order fruit and nut tree nursery just east of Edmonton. With years of hands-on nursery experience and over a decade of growing in hardiness zone 3, she's dedicated to helping Canadians create thriving food forests that produce real abundance: even in our challenging prairie climate.
For Kristel, growing fruit isn't just about gardening; it's about health, vitality, and the pure joy of eating sun-ripened fruit straight from your own trees. She's absolutely nuts about growing nuts (especially walnuts!) and has a deep love for fresh-picked haskaps, cherries, plums, apples, and pears; her favourites shift with the seasons and whatever happens to be perfectly ripe that day.
Her passion lies in showing others (especially women) how accessible and rewarding it can be to grow your own nourishment, whether you're working with a small urban lot or sprawling acreage.

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Grow Your Prairie Hardy Abundance: Delicious Fruit for Our Cold Climate

Last year, we explored the interesting concept of cold-hardy food forests and their many layers. This year, we're getting personal: it's time to meet the trees!

In this workshop, we'll dive deep into the specific fruit trees, shrubs, vines, and nut trees that thrive in our challenging prairie climate. We'll explore their unique stories, growing needs, and personalities, because planting a tree is the beginning of a relationship between you and the fruit you'll eventually harvest.

We'll cover apples, pears, plums, cherries, haskaps, prairie hardy nuts, and more, with detailed guidance on proper planting techniques and common pitfalls to avoid. Whether you're choosing your first tree or expanding your orchard, you'll leave knowing exactly what your trees need to thrive for decades.

We'll wrap up with time for sharing knowledge and answering your questions. Let's sit in community and create abundance for generations to come!