North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

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

The borers killed off my apples before I got to experience all the other miseries that lucky Nafexers get to suffer.  I'm on my second batch of apples, and am doing better.  David Ulmer told me that the clonal rootstocks are very sensitive to viruses, so don't do what I did and get heirloom apple varieities on clonal rootstocks.  I agree that pears and persimmons are really easy compared to everything else.  Though there have been some borers in the pear trees....  

    I would sure like to see LOTS more emphasis on IPM fruit.  At the grocery and the big health food stores there is this huge divide, either organic or loaded with sprays.  I would pay extra for fruit that's been sprayed 2 or 3 times rather than 27X.  I think there are others who would too, if only they knew that such fruit existed and could find it.  I think the only way the consumers are likely to hear about it is through direct marketing.  Donna