North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Donna &/or Kieran" <holycow@cookeville.com>]

My son made the trip to Don Balser's place last fall, said it was incredible and that Don was very nice and helpful.  Don gave him lists or maps of parts of the grove to tell him what he was looking at.  He said there were huge walnuts and hazelnuts, larger than what you can buy, and that some of the hazels were supposed to be blight resistant.  I'll forward him the message, but don't know if he'll have time to get there again. 

    As I understand it, the clonal repository doesn't have enough money to go collect scionwood again?  These places are always underfunded, because apparently our federal govt doesn't think that Americans need to grow food, we can just pay little brown people in other countries to grow it for us.  How many of you saw the rundown ag experiment station on one of our NAFEX tours in Alabama?  Nice normal food is neglected, but there is plenty of money to fund weird genetically modified food.  Reminds me of the way medicine is done in American.  Lots of emphasis on very expensive drugs, combined with poor diet and inedible hospital food.    Donna