In Person

Come enjoy a tour of a beautiful apple orchard nestled in the Western Foothills of Farmington, Maine.  We will take you on an informational tour of our 15+ apple varieties and share with you what it takes to cultivate and care for apples in a successful apple orchard.  During the tour, we will stop and talk about our apple cider production and how we produce cider "just like your grandfather used to".  Afterward, you can sample our 8 varieties of hard cider that we produce (If you are over 21 of course).

Tour 2

October 9,  1pm - 2 pm

A Central meeting place will be determined.

Morrison Hill Apple Orchard has been growing apples since 1944. The Simpson/Hollingsworth family, now in our 3rd generation of apple growers, has been running the orchard since 1986. We began producing fresh cider in 2019 and hard cider in 2020. Jodi (Simpson) Hollingsworth and Chris Hollingsworth have been running the orchard since 2018. Chris & Jodi have worked to build the orchard into a sustainable business, which is not always an easy venture when it comes to farming.

In-Person

This trip will include a tour of the 1814 Belgrade Town Meeting House, one of the oldest in Maine, which, from 2019-2023, underwent extensive renovations to restore its interior to what it looked like 1814-1832. It now houses an amazing collection of artifacts related to Belgrade's history as a farming, mills, and ice harvesting town and since 1874, a summer resort for family camps, youth camps, inns, and hotels from the modest to the most expensive, as well as boat building shops and health spas. We will start at the Belgrade Historical Society's History Room for a half-hour presentation, then spend about 1.5 hours in the old Town House for curated talks on the diverse exhibits. There will be an optional group lunch for all who would like to do this.

October 23, 2023

10:30 am - 1 pm

Belgrade Town Meeting House

990 Augusta Rd, Belgrade, ME

Eric Hooglund has been a Gold Leaf member since 2014 and a presenter of several Gold Leaf classes since 2014. He is a retired college professor and still an active editor of the scholarly journal MIDDLE EAST CRITIQUE and the Belgrade Historical Society Newsletter.

In-Person

This is an introduction to residential solar energy.

October 25th 

1:00 pm

Location: Education Center, room 110

John is a retired High School and Community College teacher.

In-person

As most of us know, Western Maine has a lot to offer outdoor enthusiasts in all four seasons. This Gold LEAF opportunity joins paddling trips, light hikes, walks and snowshoes into one package geared to take advantage of local resources and seasonal conditions. For this term, we will focus on beginner/moderate trails to walk, hike, or snowshoe in Western Maine. Participants should have comfortable walking shoes or hiking boots, ice cleats, and snowshoes. A trekking pole or pole is recommended but not necessary. We will be keeping a close eye on the weather before each event and keep participants posted about changes and “Plane-B’s” Our goal is to be safe, have fun, and get outside!

October 26

November 16

December 14 

January 25

10 a.m., locations to be determined.

Barb Toner, with the help of outdoor adventurers Sarah Carlson, Sam Horine, and Ray Stillman, has been organizing the Out and About Group for Gold LEAF for a little while.  She enjoys exploring Western Maine and sharing it with others.

In-person

This class will demystify the fascinating world of diadromous fishes. Fish described as diadromous migrate between fresh water and salt water for reproductive purposes. The diadromous fishes are further divided into those that return to freshwater to reproduce (i.e., anadromous) while the catadromous fishes begin their lives in saltwater and migrate to freshwater to develop as adults. 

January 11, 2024

10 am - 12 pm

North Dining Hall East End C & North Dining Hall Middle Section B

Richard Behr grew up in coastal Maine. After graduating from the University of Maine in Farmington with a degree in geology and chemistry, Richard attended graduate school in Canada where he studied biogeochemistry. Within a few short months of graduation, Richard was back in Maine. Richard worked for several research scientists before embarking on a career in hydrogeology with the Maine Department of Environmental Protection. In addition to a lifelong passion for fishing, Richard has been an active participant in fishery restoration projects within the Kennebec watershed. Today he lives on the Kennebec with his wife.