North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Lon J. Rombough" <lonrom@hevanet.com>]

Keep in mind that NAFEX has been around since the 1960's, when things like kiwi (any kiwi), jujubes, persimmons, etc. were pretty much unknown in the general population and were considered quite exotic at the time.  NAFEX has done a lot to make formerly exotic fruits common enough that they have lost much of their former status. Elwyn Meader bred an American persimmon able to grow in a climate where most people thought they wouldn't grow.  Jim Claypool started the first private large scale breeding program for American persimmons.   Elmer Swenson showed that really good quality grapes could be grown in cold climates. Elwood Fisher gathered an apple collection that became a large part of the foundation of the U.S. apple collection at Geneva, NY.   The list goes on.  Through the efforts of many of these people, nurseries began to offer those "exotic" fruits more and more until they became well known enough to lose some of their "exotic" status.
In some ways NAFEX's role has shifted to finding and/or developing new fruits, to developing/finding more varieties of those fruits that will grow in a wider range of climates.
Yes, there are many exotic fruits out there, but only a limited number that will grow in temperate climates AND have enough appeal to attract a sizeable following the way the earlier fruits have.  There are a lot of edible Sorbus species, for example, but many aren't better than other pome fruits, just different.  That doesn't mean they aren't worth pursuing, only that they aren't likely to attract as much attention as other fruits.  
Of course it also depends on how much work anyone is willing to put into the fruits.  The Interest Groups have tended to wither with the development of the internet because the existing information tends to stifle creativity to some degree.  When someone is working in isolation, they seem to become more creative and try more things because they have nothing to compare their work to.  With the internet, it's easy to find others who are already doing something, which can make working with a fruit less urgent.  
Of the many other fruits out there, a lot of them have potential, but they don't appeal to as wide a range of people as some of the ones NAFEX has espoused in the past, so it will take more time for them to be developed to where they will attract a wider "audience".  
These are random thoughts.  Often it only takes one really devoted "fan" of a fruit to light a fire under others, if that one is persistent, patient, and gets the word out to others.  That usually means growing or working with as many selections of the fruit as possible, gathering information, sometimes breeding new varieties, passing along plant material, and writing about their experiences.  
As long as NAFEX has people like that, it will flourish.
-Lon Rombough

Grapes, writing, consulting, my book, The Grape Grower, at http://www.bunchgrapes.com  Winner of the Garden Writers Association "Best Talent in Writing" award for 2003. 
For even more grape lessons, go to  http://www.grapeschool.com
For growing supplies and more;  http://www.grapegrowersolutions.com

On Apr 15, 2007, at 6:06 PM, rob hamilton wrote:

Dear membership,

This is an interest comment. I have only been with NAFEX for about 6 years. Some some aspects or this post I agree and with and some I don't. I feel this is an excellent opportunity for our membership (at least the on-line ones) to chime in to let the board know what you want. 

These are my thoughts...

There is a alot of discussions on mainstream fruits in the on-line forum and in Pomona, though the varieties discussed are often are historical or rare and sometimes unorthodox uses of those fruits. That being said, I do see plenty of discussion of rare or under explored fruits, and kiwi or hardy kiwi is hardly and exotic fruit on our list. Ask Hector Black and Hall Love.  I personally would love to see more exploration of rarer fruit. I think (gut feeling here) members do, but may not actively report on them.
I also think that we do have a diversity of people on the whole chemical/organic spectrum. I am tired of seeing people place in just two extremes in this issue, and I do feel here people discuss and practice various methodologies and anyone would find a colleague in our membership that would see their interest represented. I do see the organic community growing, and that is an area I think we could find more members. 

I do NOT want this post to sound like I took offense at these comments. It is further from the truth. I thank Dr. Parmar posted this. My hope is that we can use it as a vehicle to ask ourselves if this is the group we want.

I think each fruit group out there has there own "flavor" of community. I am part  of Southern Fruit Fellowship, and the California Rare fruit group. There will always be overlap between them, though no group well satisfy everyone, I think we are a good general entry point for all people interested in temperate fruit.

Robert Hamilton