“Michael was an original, a brilliant contrarian, a dedicated innovator. We will have to step up to continue his important work. He rightly identified the growing of apples within Nature’s system – without heroic but toxic chemistry, with attention to the whole orchard and its surrounding community – as a global necessity, and thoughtfully devised ways to record and test his thinking, and share his successes with a needful world. While we are surely less without him, the times demand that we respond to the challenge, even though we know that working together without him will be less. His death leaves a big hole in my heart.”—Michael Potts
Holistic Orchard Intensive Workshop 2026
with Mike Biltonen, of Know Your Roots
Dates: June 6 & 7
Register Today!
For many years Michael offered an Orchard Intensive Weekend here at our Lost Nation Orchard. This annual event has been a long time favorite. This year, Gracie and Nancy have invited Mike Biltonen to carry on this tradition as our featured teacher. Mike is an experienced teacher whose orchard work and philosophy aligns with ours.
This “organic apple everything” weekend inspires people to pursue their own orchard dreams. Come gain the practical insights needed to establish your own fruit planting based on the biological systems approach used here at Lost Nation Orchard.
Holistic orcharding involves a wide breadth of knowledge and timeliness, yet one fact stands clear — we can have beautiful apples grown without chemical intervention. Sustainable agriculture works only when we have fun and get people involved with growing healthy food. Our workshops point the way for organic apple growers to meet their unique site challenges.
Mike Biltonen will lead participants in a walk through the orchard season. He will discuss the key role understory management and soil health plays in an organic orchard, and look at varietal and rootstock choices. Tree planting, pruning, grafting, branch training, and trunk protection will be woven into our time together along with a look at righteous equipment for the small-scale orchard. Mike will also identify insect and disease dynamics from a holistic perspective aimed at achieving maximum diversity, pointing out a few of the culprits and beneficial allies on hand around bloom time. Saturday evening includes a special farm to table dinner paired with regional ciders and lots of good fellowship with other apple lovers.
Details
Dates 2026: June 6th & 7th
Times: 10:00 Saturday to 4:00 Sunday.
Meals: Tasty farm meals will be provided for Saturday lunch, Saturday dinner, Sunday lunch.
Course Cost: $350
Registered via deposit? Send in your final payment here.
Final payments due by May 1st.
Accommodations: Rustic Camping is available at the farm for $25 per person. Tenting spaces, outhouses and drinking water are available. Bring all your camping gear with you.
🏠Interested in Local Places to Stay?
Here is a suggested list of Local Places to Stay.
Check Payments:
To send a check, use the registration link below and choose check payments at check out. Make check out to: Heartsong Farm. Mail to: 859 Lost Nation Road, Northumberland, NH 03582
Enroll now to join our 2026 group!
Enroll Today!
About Mike Biltonen
Mike has spent nearly 40 years in agriculture – working mostly with orchards, vineyards, and specialty veg and fruit crops. He specializes in all aspects of sustainable orchard production of apples, pears, and stone fruit. An early passion for sustainable agriculture evolved into a profound dedication to the principles and practices of ecologically-focused, biodynamically-driven farming. The last fifteen years Mike has worked as a consultant to novice and seasoned farmers and orchardists alike on all aspects of establishing and managing regenerative and integrated farmscapes. Mike also conducts workshops, seminars, webinars, and has a free newsletter for the truly dedicated. He co-owns Know Your Roots, a novel and innovative family-owned company, with his wife Debbie where they are synchronously using farming and herbalism practices to heal the Earth. https://knowyouroots.com/index.html
Holistic Orchard Apprenticeship Course
8 Month Program Learning from Expert Orchardists
Build the skills to steward healthy, productive apple trees using holistic practices, with hands-on experience and expert instruction throughout the growing season.
Enroll Now in 2026 Course!
Nestled in the mountains of northern New Hampshire, Heartsong Farm is a 57-acre diversified farm and home to Lost Nation Orchard. With over 350 apple trees and 100 varieties, our holistically managed orchard provides an ideal space for immersive, hands-on learning.
We are delighted to welcome an outstanding team of experienced orchardists to teach our Holistic Orchard Apprenticeship, running March through October 2026. Classes meet one Friday each month, focusing on the seasonal tasks and hands-on skills that will help you cultivate a thriving, resilient orchard.
This course is deeply rooted in the work of Michael Phillips, founder of Lost Nation Orchard, author, and organic apple visionary. His books—The Apple Grower and The Holistic Orchard—along with his Holistic Orcharding videos, provide a strong foundation for the curriculum and enrich our live, hands-on learning experience.
Our guest instructors honor and carry Michael’s work forward, adding their own unique focus and passions, experience, and expertise to the course. Learn directly from orchardists who are actively growing apples, experimenting with holistic practices, and stewarding resilient ecosystems.
A Holistic Approach to Orcharding
“Growing your own fruit becomes downright fun once you understand organic principles and take them to heart. Working with Nature using biological methods makes home orcharding a venture that families can enjoy for years to come. Orcharding holistically- by stewarding ecosystem connections and overall health- means you’ll experience nutrient dense fruit with real flavor and no anxiety about pesticide residues. We are also willing to bet you will discover a core part of you being, that place where humans find happiness and meaning as we embrace our rootedness on this precious planet.” ~Michael Phillips
This apprenticeship invites you to “put on your holistic mindset”, as Michael would say. Discover the philosophy and practice of caring for the land through observation, relationship, and reciprocity.
Meet the Instructors
We are honored to host a passionate and knowledgable orchardists, including:
Matt Kaminsky (aka Gnarly Pippins), Laura Sieger from Fedco Trees and the Maine Heritage Orchard, Josh Karp of Cate Hill Orchard,
Charlotte Rosendahl, Nicko Rubin of East Hill Tree Farm, and more!
Topics will include: Building Orchard Health, Planting and Training Young Trees, Grafting, Diversity in the Orchard, Pruning, Holistic Sprays, Insect Balance and management, Soil health, Choosing Varieties for Northern Zones, Heirloom Apples, Livestock in the Orchard, Biodynamics, Blending and Making Cider, and much more!
Lost Nation Orchard continues to be an educational place where interested folks can delve into Michael’s work, explore a variety of holistic orcharding practices, spend time interacting with the trees (and apple lovers) and especially experience the magic of the orchard. Join us for this life enhancing experience.
2026 Dates: We meet one Friday a month for the 8 months of the growing season.
March 20th, April 10th, May 8th, June 12th, July 10th, August 7th, September 11th, October 9th.
Class Times: 10:00am-5:00pm
Program Materials include: Instruction with guest teachers, hands-on practice with provided orchard materials (including rootstock for grafting) Michael’s books (The Apple Grower, The Holistic Orchard), and digital videos and/or DVD of Michaels Holistic Orcharding video, and a delicious farm lunch.
Course Cost: $1350
Early Bird Discount Price: $1150
Deposit: $250
*Send in deposit payment now & take sale amount off your final payment!
Work Study Opportunities available!
Email us at: HeartsongFarmWellness@gmail.com for more info!
Lunch: A delicious farm lunch is cooked by Nancy and Gracie for each class.
Accommodations: Rustic Camping at the farm is offered with this course. Tenting spaces are available on the property (bring your own gear). Drinking water and outhouses available. There is also the option of sleeping in our barn or yurt space. Contact us for more details on camping at: HeartsongFarmWellness@gmail.com.
🏠Interested in Local Places to Stay?
Here is a suggested list of Local Places to Stay.
Enroll now to join our 2026 group! Pay in full to secure your place or send in your deposit. Final balance payments due by the beginning of March and are nonrefundable after this date. Cost of deposit nonrefundable upon cancelation. For more information please contact us at HeartsongFarmWellness@gmail.com.
Enroll here online or send a check
“I mark as an important life pivot my experience of coming to see the deep web of natural relationships outside through your books and the June intensive. Once you grasp the paradigm and gain the tools to engage and observe, the practice is endlessly fascinating. Entry for me was the key and I have you to thank for that.”
~Pete Lankford –Orchard Intensive Student
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