Eryn Grupido — District Manager | Photo courtsey of Alger Conservation District
By Samantha Meyer
Beacon Correspondent
The Alger Conservation District is preparing for its annual tree sale, a long-running program that provides residents and organizations affordable access to native trees, shrubs and plants while also supporting conservation efforts across the region.
This year, the tree sale will take place in person from 9 a.m. to noon on May 9 at the Munising Ice Arena. An additional stop in Grand Marais will be held at Superior Hardware from 3 to 4 p.m. Pre-orders run through this Saturday, allowing residents and businesses to plan ahead of the sale.
The tree sale has remained consistent in its mission while expanding in both scale and offerings.
“The district has been around since 1959 and has been doing tree sales basically since that point in time,” said Alex Kolton, executive director of the Alger Conservation District.
Each year, thousands of trees and plants are distributed throughout Alger County, contributing to both private and larger conservation efforts.
“This particular sale is really one of the largest reforestation efforts in the county,” Kolton said.
The annual sale focuses on native species while still offering a wide variety of options for residents. Buyers can find fruit trees, asparagus, rhubarb, shrubs, deciduous and conifer trees. The range of available items allows everyone from small to large scale purchasers to participate — from backyard gardeners to large agricultural producers.
Eryn Grupido, district manager of the Alger Conservation District, highlighted the pricing structure that makes the sale appealing to the public.
“Not quite at cost, but lower than what the wholesale would be for a lot of those species,” Grupido said.
New this year, the conservation district is adding more interactive elements to the event, including workshops and presentations. One of the most anticipated additions is a pie contest, inviting participants to bake a pie using an item sold during the annual tree sale with judges deciding the winner. Remaining pie slices will be available to attendees on a first-come, first-served basis by donation, with proceeds benefiting a local nonprofit.
The tree sale’s impact extends beyond individual properties, with thousands of plants contributing to wildlife habitats, school forest projects and partnerships like the Deer Habitat Improvement Partnership Initiative. These efforts allow residents to take part in conservation while also helping to strengthen the region’s ecosystem.
Local farmer McKenzie Guzman Martinez of Yooper Country Farms has seen the benefits of the sale over the years. Yooper Country Farms has participated since 2021.
The farm has used the sale to build a diverse orchard, planting apples, cherries, pears, plums, raspberries and grape plants. Beyond production, they value the broader environmental impact.
“It’s a great thing to participate in and a great way to be involved in the Upper Peninsula community,” Guzman Martinez said.
As the Alger Conservation District prepares for another busy season, the tree sale remains a clear example of how a long-running local program can continue to grow, adapt and bring people together, one tree at a time.