BROOKINGS, S.D. – A Brookings-area Master Gardener is donating 30 apple trees to local youth for the sixth annual Fruitful Children Project.
The project is sponsored by South Dakota State University Extension Master Gardener Perry Johnson and provides an opportunity for children and youth to experience the benefits of planting and caring for an apple tree.
Qualifying youth will receive a bare-root, semi-dwarf Honeycrisp apple tree. Distribution will be at 1 p.m. CDT on April 24 and 3:30 p.m. on April 25, 2026, at the Brookings County Outdoor Adventure Center.
A key part of the project is its requirement that the youth recipients accept responsibility for caring for their tree. There is a mandatory 45-minute orientation prior to distribution. As part of their orientation, the youth will take home the children’s story “The Sharing Apple Tree: Toni’s Journey,” about a child’s desire to plant an apple orchard.
After the orientation, the child will receive a tree, a motivational story to read, and a Honeycrisp owner’s manual. Brookings Area Master Gardeners will be available at distribution to answer individual questions.
To qualify, children must be 6 to 12 years old and have an adult sponsor to help them with the tree. Youth are also encouraged to name their trees. Johnson said the trees will grow to be 12 to 17 feet tall and should start producing apples in 3 to 7 years. Due to apple tree pollination needs, only one apple tree per site will be allowed.
Reservations are recommended to ensure availability. To reserve an apple tree, the adult sponsor can email Johnson with the distribution date they will attend and the youth recipient’s grade level.
Since its inception, the project has distributed over 200 trees in the Brookings community. It is held close to Arbor Day, which is the last Friday in April. Like Arbor Day, the project hopes to instill youth with a lifelong passion for planting trees.
For more information, contact Perry Johnson, SDSU Extension Master Gardener.
