Fruit club helps Vashon grow

Published 1:30 am Tuesday, March 24, 2026

As you travel around the island and notice the abundance of fruit varieties, have you wondered just how many kinds of fruit are grown here — from apples, pears and cherries to figs, grapes, kiwis, peaches, plums and many more? How about our native fruits — huckleberries, Oregon grape and salmonberries, to name just a few?

In 2004, with just those sorts of questions from islanders and the timely arrival of eminent pomologist, horticulturalist and tireless educator Robert Norton, also known as “Dr. Bob,” the Vashon Island Fruit Club was born. With Norton’s expertise and guidance, the fruit club thrived.

Today, VIFC remains a vibrant, fun and educational group of people learning how to grow different types of fruit, along with complementary skills including soil building, irrigation, pruning, pest and disease management, pollinator gardens, fertilizing and cider making. One of Norton’s focuses was selecting varieties that would thrive in the island’s microclimates, recognizing that very different conditions exist in different areas of Vashon-Maury.

Another was apple tree restoration, pointing out that an apple tree is capable of fruiting for many years if properly maintained. What a gift to future generations.

Since those early days, the club has grown to more than 150 member households, mostly from Vashon, with some from around the region. While some members have maintained the same orchards and berry patches for decades, others have recently purchased or inherited established orchards, and many more are starting from scratch.

Some members are globally renowned experts, while others know only that they’d like to try their hand at growing something. What they have in common is an interest in learning, growing as human beings and connecting with community.

A centerpiece of that learning is the Dr. Bob Norton Memorial Orchard, the club’s research and demonstration site, which serves as its hub. Members convene to work in the orchard and, at certain times of year, enjoy the fruits of their labor.

Cheryl Grunbock recently shared a few thoughts about her experiences in the club, including what she gleaned from a video by author and gardener David Trood of New South Wales, Australia.

“When I think of a garden, I think of a small paradise, a home beside a home. Gardens are a place of richness, of plenty. Being connected to your food means more than just physical health and nourishment. It means having your feet in contact with the earth and the sun on your skin. A garden enriches your soul. By eating food that you grow yourself in soil that you walk upon, you enter a new state of being that, before you started growing your garden, you didn’t even know existed. You might call it being human, achieving your full genetic potential. And this all comes from the food we eat. If you think about it, the closest connection we have to the natural world is the food we put into our mouths.

Growing your own food means slowing down and really watching. Of course, thinking about our club, our minds go to tree fruit or fruit that grows on perennial vines, bushes or canes. But there are many fruits that we mostly call vegetables. Botanically, avocados, tomatoes, green beans, squash, cucumbers, eggplant and even corn kernels are fruits.

If we do things as nature intended, we don’t grow plants or trees, we grow soil, the basis of everything we eat. When we care for something — the soil, for example — it gives back, slowly but surely and in abundance. And this brings up one of the greatest joys of growing food: sharing it. Giving our friends and neighbors part of our harvest gives more than just food. It gives our experience, our dedication and even provides an example of what we all can do, given a bit of health and, of course, some work — good work. It exemplifies that growing a garden not only grows food, it grows you.”

The club welcomes others to grow with it. It holds workshops and social events throughout the year, sends a monthly newsletter with helpful information for growers, and offers weekly and monthly opportunities to get your hands dirty while learning and practicing alongside other club members.

Anyone interested in learning more should visit vashonislandfruitclub.org or reach out at info@vashonislandfruitclub.org.

Elizabeth Vogt, Emily Macrae and Christina Reip are members of the Vashon Fruit Club.