My good friend, Rachel (http://cityscapesandgardengates.blogspot.com/) and I have known each other for 7 years now. And for nearly that long, we've been plotting to go to Geneva NY to visit the grape and apple germplasm center there. I would post a link to the page all about them, but it is a USDA funded project, and so defunded with the current government shutdown. But here is what you need to know: It is housed at Cornell's Agricultural experiment station, and their mission is to collect and preserve as much genetic diversity of apples and grapes as possible. In other words, visiting there is going to see an giant collection of all the possible awesome that apples can do. Aside from being so cool you can hardly stand it, it and the rest of the USDA germplasm system is incredibly important, preserving genetic diversity and making it available to breeders and researchers to create new varieties with better disease resistance or winter hardiness or just generally more awesomeness.
But the BEST thing about the germplasm center there? KAZAKHSTAN!
Um yeah. Let me explain. Apples come from Kazakhstan. Modern cultivated apples are descended from wild apples in Kazakhstan, possibly with a little hybridization with other species thrown in. Okay, so yeah, that is where the wild ancestors of apples live. What's the big deal? Apple FORESTS. Seriously, whole forests of wild apples. http://exhibits.mannlib.cornell.edu/apples/expeditions.htm
To be honest, I don't know logically why that excites me so much, but that concept just blows my mind and makes me very happy. Someday I'll get to Kazakhstan and dance euphorically through the apple forests, but in the mean time: Other people have gone there and collected seed, and planted HUNDREDS of them. In Geneva, NY.
That's right folks. A little slice of a wild Kazakh apple forest growing happily in upstate New York. And I got to walk around in it. And taste the apples. And TAKE SOME HOME!
There weren't just Kazakh apples, there was a whole host of them, row upon row upon row of trees wth big fruits and little fruits and pretty ones and ugly ones and delicious ones and ones that tasted so gross you had to give it to someone else to taste too just so you could watch them be grossed out by it.
After I got them home, I spent a few hours extracting the seeds...
Of course, apples don't come true from seed, each of these seeds will produce something different from the parent tree I picked the fruit off of... which, you know, makes me crazy excited too. (I think I may be overusing the phrase "crazy excited...") The whole plant breeder thing in me... I've got a mix of seeds from all sorts of different apple trees, pollinated by who knows what gorgeous and interesting diversity of an entire germplasm collection... oh what marvels may grow from these seeds!
So, yeah... I'm going to plant all these seeds and grow my own little slice of Kazakhstan.
And if you ever get a chance to visit the germplasm center, DO IT. So much amazing. And that was just the apples! They have grapes too. (Oh. My. God. Grapes!!!)
Your enthusiasm is contagious, but it did need that warning at the beginning. How come this is so close to me and I never knew about it?
ReplyDeleteYou've got to go visit Jim! They do at least a couple open houses during apple season, and let you walk around, tasting and taking a few home. There were several families with kids there when we visited, having a terrific time.
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ReplyDeleteGreat job Joseph! Glad that you brought up the variability in apples. It is sad that an entire generation, perhaps almost two, have never had the opportunity to taste a Jonathon apple, applesauce made from a Yellow Transparent apple or apple crisp made from a combination of Yellow Transparent, Starkspur Early Blaze and Jonadel apples. Prima apple, a delicious disease resistant apple from the consortium of Perdue, Rutgers and Illinois (thus the PRI in its name), is an apple that very few people will have the opportunity to taste, because it is extremely slow to bear fruit and does not look like a Red Delicious apple. For some reason, it seems to be all about appearances with apples rather than taste. If it was about taste, we would be growing apples in the Kaw River valley near the 'Little Apple,' Manhattan, KS, rather than growing them in the Pacific Northwest. Had no idea that Red Delicious apples had the genetics to be decent tasting apples until I tasted one grown in Kansas State's apple orchard in the Kaw River valley.
ReplyDeleteYeah, the diversity of apples we actually usually get to eat is surprisingly low. So much fun to see what other flavors there are out there.
DeleteHave you ever taken one of those "If I were a Dr. Klip Klop character, I would be..." quizzes?
ReplyDeleteOkay, so yes, I had thought of titling this post "Call me Johnny Applechanger" but thought that would require too much explanation...
DeleteJohnny Applechanger? Okay, I guess that works, too. I was thinking of "Boster and Biller with the Crazy Man."
DeleteHave you visited the UK's National Apple Collection at Brogdale Farm in Kent? 1500 dessert apples and 700 cooking apple trees!
ReplyDeleteNo, but now that you TELL me about it, I would LOVE to. So many reasons I need to visit the UK.
DeleteI had heard about this place in Michael Pollan's "The Botany of Desire". How cool you actually got to visit this place! Super jealous. I dig your enthusiasm. It reminds me of mine. Because yo - plants are awesome!
ReplyDeleteYes, they said a lot of visitors come to them by way of reading Michael Pollan. It was so fun -- but do look for a germplasm center near you! They are all over the country, not all as fun as apples, but very cool and I'm pretty sure they're all open to giving tours.
Deletethat's way cool! Never knew about the apples heritage, who woulda thunk it!
ReplyDeleteJoseph, yes, Apples Are from Kazakstan! Read the book of that title and learn that a lot of wild tulips come from there, too, and that it has an amazing history. My brother taught English there for two years and recommended this book: http://www.amazon.com/Apples-Are-Kazakhstan-Land-Disappeared/dp/B0057DBZEU
ReplyDeleteAdding to my reading list... thanks!
DeleteOne of the several reasons that explain why you are a successful, published author may be found in the sentence " I get increasingly over-excited". Passion is a virtue; it results in dancing joyous through apple fields and waxing philosophically about which apples make the best-tasting pies. Enthusiasm is one of your greatest strengths; no need to warn your readers about it. Some must be downright envious not to be able to express their feelings as spontaneously as you do while others anticipate each of your posts wondering when next they will be inspired and thrilled by the emotions you share with them.
ReplyDeleteThanks Allan!
DeleteThe idea of getting to taste all those apples is exciting. I can't imagine any apple tasting terrible. Do you know what kind they were?
ReplyDeleteI'm trying to remember the name of the really gross one. It was a French name, if I recall. Tasted SO foul and had a kind of strange slimy texture too... maybe it is intended to be cooked or made into cider or something.
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ReplyDeleteHi Joseph,
ReplyDeleteIm in New Zealand and borrowed your book from the library, its great! I found your blog and you're a man after my own heart. Ive heard about a particularly ancient apple/ food forest in Kazakhstan where there are many understory edibles that grow as well, visited by an American food forester talking about Kazakhstan with Geoff Lawton. I'm a recent food forest enthusiast and an artist who believes whole heartedly that gardening is the new archetype and I look forward to using your book as a way to not only retain biodiversity but to help propagate heritage plants and seeds for our particular climate. take a look at my website if youre inclined. www.heidithrelfo.weebly.com, love your passion.