Camp Giving Grove: Where Inspiration, Knowledge, and Connection Grow
In this month’s blog, we’re sharing a glimpse into Camp Giving Grove, our annual National Affiliate Conference that brings together orchard leaders from across the country. More than just a conference, it feels like summer camp, a place where people connect, learn from each other, and get inspired. This year’s gathering took place in Seattle, where over 35 leaders came together to tour orchards, share ideas, and strengthen the work we do in communities nationwide.
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Orchard Leaders Unite in Seattle
Every summer, our National Affiliate Conference brings together orchard leaders from across the country, but if you ask those who attend, they’ll tell you it feels more like summer camp than a traditional conference. That’s why, somewhere along the way, it picked up its unofficial nickname: Camp Giving Grove.
This year, Camp Giving Grove took us to Seattle, where for three days, more than 35 leaders from our national network gathered to share ideas, tour inspiring orchards, and build the kind of connections that strengthen programs long after we return home.
For Ryan Watson, The Giving Grove’s National Orchard Operations & Education Manager, this was his first time attending, and he quickly discovered why the nickname fits.
“Over three days in Seattle, I was surrounded by orchard leaders from across the country, each dedicated to growing not just fruit, but stronger, healthier communities. I was struck by how much there is to learn from one another: from innovative tree netting methods to the success of publicly managed food forests thriving on volunteer power.
I left ‘Camp Giving Grove’ feeling deeply inspired. Being surrounded by people who carved out time and traveled across the country to improve their community orchard programs reignited my passion for this work and affirmed that our work is not just about growing fruit — it’s about people, purpose, and collective improvement.”
Ryan Watson leading an informational talk with fellow orchard leaders.
Ryan’s takeaway captures the heart of what makes Camp Giving Grove so special: the exchange of knowledge and the bonds formed between people who share the same mission, even if they work thousands of miles apart.
A gathering that fuels year-round impact
Attendees described the conference as energizing, inspiring, and even transformative. They loved the chance to walk through Seattle’s thriving gardens and orchards, to talk with seasoned volunteers, and to see firsthand how other communities are creating long-term, sustainable sources of fresh fruit.
For some, the best part was the networking, finding the time to have real, meaningful conversations about what’s working, what’s challenging, and what’s possible. For others, it was hearing the stories of partner organizations and the community members they serve. And for everyone, it was the sense of being part of something much bigger than their own orchard or program.
This isn’t just a feel-good moment; it’s a catalyst. Each time an affiliate leaves Camp Giving Grove, they bring home new techniques, fresh perspectives, and renewed energy. That ripple effect amplifies the impact in neighborhoods across the country, from a small church orchard in Pittsburgh to a schoolyard food forest in Memphis.
A network like the mycorrhizal forest
Ryan likened the Giving Grove network to the mycorrhizal network in a forest, a hidden web of connections that allows trees to share nutrients, warn each other of threats, and grow stronger together.
At Camp Giving Grove, those invisible connections become visible. Over shared meals, orchard tours, and group discussions, affiliates build trust, exchange ideas, and find encouragement from people who understand the unique joys and challenges of community orchard work.
By the end of the week, those bonds aren’t just professional, they’re personal. Affiliates return home knowing they can pick up the phone and call someone in Kansas City, Atlanta, Detroit, or beyond, and get advice, encouragement, or simply the reminder that they’re not in this work alone.
Growing together, rising together
When The Giving Grove began hosting this conference years ago, we hoped it would become a space for learning and collaboration. Today, it’s clear that it’s so much more: it’s a source of inspiration, a laboratory for ideas, and a reminder of the collective power we have when we work side-by-side toward the same goal: ensuring every community has access to free, healthy fruit for generations to come.
To our donors, volunteers, and supporters: you make this possible. Your belief in the mission of The Giving Grove not only supports orchards in your own community but it also helps grow this nationwide network of people committed to feeding their neighbors and creating greener, healthier cities.
As Ryan put it, “When we all grow together, we all rise together.”
And after this year’s Camp Giving Grove, we can’t wait to see how far we’ll rise in the year ahead.