North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Steve N. Dulaney" <dulaney@wvi.com>]

Fluffy,

You raise an interesting point.  I have found that plenty of people just love my fruits and vegetables that I grow, but only if I pick and deliver it to them.  If it requires physical effort on their part, forget it.  It seems that laziness is the national pastime these days.

I differ somewhat with you on another point, however.  It is true that many of the heirloom, antique varieties taste different (worse?) than modern varieties, but they have a different value.  that value is their unique genetic profile that may one day become very valuable.  I also belong to Seed Saver's Exchange, and some of the vegetable varieties I grow, I feed to the chickens or other stock.  I grow them to keep the variety alive, because someday we, society, may need those genes.  who can tell what will be valuable in the future.  that does not mean that we all need to go out and plant huge orchards of every sort of fruit ever grown, but neither should we let varieties go extinct either.  And by the way, I am one of those younger "boomer" generation people does care about good tasting fruit, preservation and all the rest of it.

Regards,
Steve Dulaney

fuwafuwausagi@muchomail.com wrote:

Tom wrote:

This is totally wrong Bunny. (IMO)

My reply:

You are correct I am wrong in any sense of the form of "an argument".
I knew I should have built the foundation for my comments, bu tit wa
slate, I was tired and I am kindo of lazy anyways :)

My reply:

So if you think the internet or Pomona will preserve NAFEX, or Pomano
will ever see wide circulation, I have to strongly disagree.

My reply:

Bravo, you are essentially correct and I am happy to be corrected.
Apparently someone cares :)

Here is one solution.  NAFEX should act now, under the assumption it
may in fact ultimately disappear, in order to preserve its body of
knowledge.

Then if NAFEX pleasantly survives, it can be smug knowing it acted
responsibly.  If it doesn't, the knowledge is available and reasonably
secured for future generations.

The net can offer a very cost effective solution to these problems.
There are many companies and universities offering free services.
You can get University space for free into perpetuity if it set up
right initially.  They keep archives basically forever (a friend found
an old paper I posted using KERMIT back in the 80's  :)

I still have not seen a reasonable (not emotional) response to my
original query.  It seems "we" are running on emotions, wanting
something to be around, because we "innately" treasure it and want it
to be around for our children.  I guess another way to say this is,
the problem in a socio-economic-cultural context is largely
generational.  By that I mean, in general the baby boomers, and
certainly the generation after them as a whole coud not give a darn
about NAFEX, good tasting fruit, or preservation.  To give that
comment the "context" I intend rather then the viscera response it is
likely to invoke, consider the following.  Over the years a "lore" has
developed in regard to "antique" or "heritage" apples.  To speak to
many NAFEX members one would think that the majority of these apples
are akin to the "nectar of the gods".   Then ask the people who
actually grow them, and taste them.  Get a top 20 list.  Look at it.
Guess what, alhtough it is now a cliche having been stated so many
times "many old time varieties deserve to be extinct".

In large part, that is the conscious choice that is being made by the
suceeding generations in regard to agriculture in general and fruit
production in certainty.   Heck I have tech people ove rall the time
who sample my wares.   They are amazed at what I grow, knocked over by
the quality, and yet totally unmotivated by it.    How do I know
this...I went away for a few days and placed some calls amounting to I
dropped a few blackberries, raspeberries,and blue berries offa t your
door.  The yard is full of them and I am going to be gone. They are
yours for the taking.  Heck not one person on my block, not one person
within a couple of blocks, not one person that knew me in the city
valued the taste of a sun ripened taylor raspberry enough to actually
pick a few.

So if you read between the lines, the reason our membership is
declining is "people simply do not value what we are doing".  It is
not worth it to them to even pick trellised raspberries.

In my never to be mistaken for humble opinion, until that changes, the
responsible thing to do is start concentrating on media archives.

Of courese NAFEX could decide to "stand and fight", and admirable
thing to do.   But prudence dictates that resources should first be
directed at preserving things for the future, rather then squandored
against a massive trend of disinterest.

Wishing all of you the very best of what life has to offer,

the fluffy bunny
 
 

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