The “Wanted” poster tacked to the telephone pole on the back country road didn’t show a photo of an escaped convict or felon but rather a drawing of an apple. Wait. An apple? Yes, an apple, and not just any old apple but a Tabor apple, last seen in the Washburn area of Aroostook County. Any information on its whereabouts, contact Fedco Trees.
Apples are a serious passion for some people, especially John Bunker, founder of Fedco Trees and the hanger of such “Wanted” posters, but most known for his apple sleuthing in old and abandoned orchards across the state. Apples are also a passion for home orchardists, which became evident during the recent “Aroostook Apple Day” hosted by the SASWCD and sponsored by the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association and Maine Farmland Trust.
People from all over The County came to taste and learn and share orchard stories. As part of the event, people were offered the opportunity to bring in apples from their orchards that they didn’t know the variety of and bring them they did. In bags and boxes, people brought their fruit and talked to John. Talked to him steadily in fact, for the entire five hour event.
Of course, it wasn’t all about identifying unknown apples, nor was it all about apples but a celebration of that other fruit in certain County orchards: the pear. In total, there were nearly 70 apples and pears that people could slice and taste. Bunker and crew also brought along posters that depicted, among other fruit trivia, Aroostook grown apples, pear varieties, apple cider varieties and apples originating in Maine. Workshops were held that covered growing plums and pears, apple varieties for our northern climate and an organic pest and disease management class with MOFGA’s orchardist, CJ Walke. Aroostook Apple Day was also fortunate to have local speakers Sue Szwed of Seek No Further Fruit Trees Nursery, Steve Miller, Liz Lauer and Chris Drew to share their many years of home orcharding knowledge and experience with participants.
A “bring your own apples” for cider pressing and local vendors selling garlic, honey, pumpkins, butter, cheeses and more rounded out the day. For me, the best part of the day was the shared enthusiasm among participants, whether they had an orchard or not, and the discussions centering around that enthusiasm. Tasting the different varieties was also fun – from an apple called Banana to the gorgeously striped Red St. Lawrence.
There seems to be a resurgence in Maine of renovating or developing a home orchard and choosing varieties that used to be grown widely. My aunt Doris talks about the orchard her family had as a child and remembers favorites like a particular Russet and varieties like Wealthy, Dudley, and Yellow Transparent. And who knows? If you’ve got an abandoned orchard on your land there may be a Tabor growing in there somewhere. But just one last thing. Unlike the “dead or alive” on the more typical wanted posters, this apple is wanted alive.
For a full listing of apples and pears that were available for tasting at Aroostook Apple Day, go to www.saswcd.org.
Angie Wotton loves her work as district manager for the Southern Aroostook Soil and Water Conservation District. She also raises pastured pork and vegetables with her husband on their small West Berry Farm in Hammond. She can be reached 532≠9407 or via email at angela.wotton@me.nacdnet.net
