North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Sarah Kehler Ewing <skkewing@yahoo.com>]

SSE does have an amazing collection of fruits: but it seems to be primarily 
apples, often Southern in heritage and definitely not the stuff I have and am 
focusing on.  I also don't think they can ship budwood across the border to 
me, if I'm wrong, please correct me.  SSE is very concerned about the fact 
that a lot of genetic material is being lost every year because their stuff 
is often offered by only one person and not offered consistently or ever 
again in a lot of cases.

Unfortunately in Canada, our Seeds of Diversity organization is even worse 
off because we doesn't have a staffed central farm like the SSE.  All of our 
offerings are only being grower maintained... which comes back to my concern 
about the age of the owners of the small/local fruit tree collections that 
I'm aware of.  SOD also doesn't usually have more than a handful of fruit 
tree offerings in our yearly catalogue.

Canada's Clonal Genebank has a great collection of all kinds of fruiting 
things, but again they focus on accessions that were developed in/for or do 
well back east which doesn't translate well to fruit on the prairies.

Sarah 
zone 3
Edmonton, AB


--- On Tue, 3/31/09, Kevin Moore <aleguy33@yahoo.com> wrote:

> From: Kevin Moore <aleguy33@yahoo.com>
> Subject: Re: [NAFEX] What, no kiwis?
> To: "North American Fruit Explorers" <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
> Date: Tuesday, March 31, 2009, 3:24 PM
> I
> was under the impression that seed savers exchange was
> already doing this. I haven't dealt with them in awhile,
> but I seem to remember they had a fruit/nut group as well as
> the traditional heirloom garden vegetable group.
> 
> From:
> Melissa Kacalanos <mijwiz@yahoo.com>
> To: North
> American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
> Sent:
> Tuesday, March 31, 2009 10:03:38 AM
> Subject:
>  [NAFEX] What, no kiwis?
> 
> Sarah,
> 
> 
> Wow, what a list. And how many farm hands do you have to
> help you with all that?
> 
> 
> No kiwis? I just ordered some that the catalog claims are
> hardy to zone 3, Michigan State and Andrey. That's
> hardier than I need here in zone 5, but I figured extra
> hardiness wouldn't hurt, what with the unknown effects
> of climate change and all (just when you thought it was safe
> to go back on NAFEX.) And, I bought some locally grown
> Michigan State variety kiwi fruit that were quite delicious,
> so I know it does well here. Once my plants arrive and start
> growing, I'll send you cuttings if they allow gardening
> in prison. Maybe kiwis need a longer season than you have,
> though.
> 
> About qinces: have you tried flowering quince, the scrappy
> little shrub? Catalogs say it has edible fruit. I know
> nothing about it, but it looks like it should be hardier
> than the big quince.
> 
> It looks like we're in the same boat, or tree, or
> metaphor of your choice. When I realized I could either
> finish my Ph.D in genetics or get a life, I got a life.
> Also, all the
>  plant breeding research I saw ahead of me looked very
> dreary: either genetically modifying corn to improve
> Monsanto's profit margin, or breeding fruit and
> vegetables to be more durable, storeable, and shippable, and
> carefully rogueing out anything of a weird color or shape
> that surveys said consumers wouldn't recognize as
> looking like a proper ordinary fruit or vegetable.
> 
> Now that I'm planting my own garden, I'm looking at
> the varieties out there and seeing the sad results of
> conventional plant breeding. You'd think that my local
> research station would be breeding cherries I'd want to
> plant, but no, when I read the press releases, I see that
> they were selected for their ability to absorb dye
> uniformly. Almost everything is geared towards agribusiness
> and processed food, not the home gardener and fresh food.
> There are a few interesting breeding programs out there, but
> the varieties they create are hard to find, as few nurseries
> distribute
>  them.
> 
> So, it looks like we home gardeners (and small-scale
> farmers who have to look their customers in the eye) have to
> get together to create, conserve, and share the varieties
> and techniques we that are useful to us. Nothing new there.
> 
> Melissa
> 
> --- On Mon, 3/30/09, Sarah Kehler Ewing
> <skkewing@yahoo.com> wrote:
> 
> From: Sarah Kehler Ewing <skkewing@yahoo.com>
> Subject: [NAFEX] What the crazy lady in zone 3 is trying to
> grow.
> To: rmelrose@danvilleVT.net, "North American Fruit
> Explorers" <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
> Date: Monday, March 30, 2009, 11:09 PM
> 
> 
> Hi Richard and others,
> 
> I have been unable to get my hands on an "real"
> quince tree so my quince seedlings are from some grocery
> store fruit and therefore I have no idea what they are or
> how they will do
>  here.  I'm happy to try growing just about
> anything and have had some unusual successes.  But
> I'm willing to admit that it is possible that my
> Cox's Orange Pippin that has done so well for me may
> simply be something hardy mislabelled.
> 
> Before I get to the list I'm going to share the
> four-fold philosophy behind my "husband-funded private
> research station" (lol!):
> 
> 1) Conservation:  Up here in a rather marginal growing
> area there aren't as many choices in what fruit trees to
> grow and there is getting to be less choice all the
> time.  I'm frankly alarmed at the yearly loss of
> varieties and sources.  In Canada in the last few years
> alone we have had some of our major nurseries carrying
> rare/hardy varieties shut down due to retirement or death
> including: Woodwinds Nursery, Roblyn Eyrie Farms, and Sprout
> Farms.  I also notice that most of the hobby collectors
> that are saving some of the most stunning varieties are
>  20-30 years older than me and that concerns me.  Even
> though the short sighted Alberta government has long since
> shut down it's fruit research stations in favour of oil
> and gas, someone needs to preserve, share, and pass on the
> good stuff that was developed for our region.
> 
> 2) Research:  I didn't get to finish my Ph.D. in
> Biochemistry, but science is in my soul and the desire to
> investigate things has always been a part of who I am. 
> Since I'm tied down with kids right now, agricultural
> research is a natural choice.
> 
> 3) Consumption:  My husband and I have 6 kids and they
> eat a lot so it pays for us to grow as much as we can to
> feed ourselves.  Not to mention I am a second
> generation organic grower and I fully believe in the
> philosophy behind not using any chemicals and not eating
> food grown using chemicals.  A short story in support
> of that view is that an aunt did a family history (huge
> Mennonite family so lots
>  of people to look at) and found that every single one of
> my relatives who farmed with agricultural chemicals died of
> liver cancer or leukemia.  It didn't matter if it
> was the males out spraying or the females living nearby and
> washing the clothes.  It didn't matter if they were
> fruit farmers in the BC Okanagan or grain farmers on the SK
> Prairies..  And the city dwellers had absolutely no
> cancer of any kind.  Hard to argue with those odds in
> my genes!  Not to mention with kids around I feel more
> comfortable knowing that I am spraying soapy water! 
> 'Course I
>  should admit that I usually joke about the only difference
> between an Organic fruit farmer and a Conventional fruit
> farmer up here is theoretical because no one up here
> actually sprays anything for anything!  And I also like
> to eat odd things: green, purple, and orange cauliflower,
> purple and red fleshed potatoes, purple, red, and yellow
> carrots....
> 
> 4)
>  Business:  Eventually I would like to be able to have
> my kids help work in the orchard and be able to use any
> money made to help them go to college..  I was 14 when
> I started my first successful business (goat dairy) and so I
> have a bit of an entrepreneurial spirit too.
> 
> If you look under my Pear tree list you will notice some
> very exciting Russian pears.  Russia has been
> developing super hardy, large, tasty pears since the
> 60's or so and I have been lucky enough to get my hands
> on some budwood that was smuggled in.
> 
> I'd love to hear from anyone in Canada who would like
> to exchange budwood.... I'm not real interested in jail
> time for smuggling right now, maybe someday!
> 
> Okay, nuff said and here is the list I put together for a
> local fruit group I'm a member of.
> 
> Sarah 
> zone 3
> Edmonton, AB
> 
> 
> 
> Trees being grafted in 2009 (hopefully available in the
> future).
> 
> Apples: 74
> 
> Adanac, Almata,
>  Alnarp 2, Antonovka Kamenichka, Atlas Red, Autumn Arctic,
> Bill's Red Flesh, Blushed Calville, Breaky,
> Burgundy, Chenango Strawberry, Cherry Cox, Cinnamon Spice,
> Crab 6, Crimson Beauty, Duchess (Red), Early Harvest,
> Gascoynes Scarlet, Geneva 163, Geneva, Geneva Crab, Glowing
> Heart, Golden Sweet, Graventein Red CL 9, Green Sweet,
> Hall's Pink, Hanson's Red Flesh, Heyer #20, Hidden
> Rose, Irish Peach, James Grieve, July Tart, Katherine, Lubsk
> Queen, Maiden Blush, Mantet, Melba Platts, Morden 359,
> Moscow Pear, Mother, Niedzwetskyana Crab, Norbil, Norbil 2,
> Noret, Norhey, Norjus, Norlove, Norrusset, Oriole, Pink
> Beauty, Pink Pearl, Pink Pearmain, Pinova, Pitmaston
> Pineapple, Princess Louise, Quinte, Red Flesh, Red Glow,
> Renown, Ribston, Scarlet Surprise, Scugog, Shelley, State
> Fair, Sweet Bough, Sweet 16, Valentine, Vista Bella, Wickson
> Crab, Winekist, Wisley.   
>     
> 
> Pears: 9  Beurre Hardy, Clapp Favorite, Olia,
>  Phileson, Pioneer #3, Red Fleshed Pear, Ritson,
> Starkrimson,Sugar Pear.         
>          
> 
> 
> Plums: 10  Foffonoff, Geddes, Ivanovka, Patterson
> Pride, Ptitsen #5, Supreme, Tecumseh, Toka, Waneta, Zapie.
> 
> 
> Peaches: 7  PF 1,7 and 12, Rising Star, Sha Zi Zao
> Sheng, Ta Qiao Yi Hao, Zin Dai Bao     
> 
> 
> Apricots: 4  Debbie's Gold, Harcot, Hargrand,
> Harlayne.
> 
> 
> Cherry Plums: 9  Alace, Beta, Delta, Epsilon, Kapa,
> Omega, Sapalta, Sigma, Wessex #9   
>       
> 
> Sour Cherry: 1  Schatten-morello.
> 
> 
> Sweet Cherry: 5  Hedelfingen, Salmo, Sam, Stella,
> Van.
> 
>  
> Trees purchased for 2009 planting:
> 
> Apples: 13   Alexander, Boughen’s Delight,
> Collet, Kirk, Milwaukee, Norcue, Norson, Red Astrachan,
> Redfree, Wealthy, William’s,    William’s
> Pride,
>  Yellow Transparent.
> 
> 
> Apricots: 3   Capillano, Lorraine,
> Precious.
> 
> 
> Cherry Plums: 5   Dura, Mannor, Oka, Opata,
> Ruby.
> 
> 
> Plumcots: 3  Simon, Yuksa, Aprico.
> 
> 
> Pears: 13  Flemish Beauty, John, Montreal Bosc,
> Northbrite, Nova, Parker, Parklot, Patten, Ritson,
> Sauvignac, So Sweet.
> 
> 
> Mazza Cherry: 2  Mazy, Maza.
> 
> 
>  
> Trees already growing on my farm:
> 
> Apples: 52    
> 
> Alberta Buff, All Purple Jason Jansen (red-flesh),
> Battleford, Beautiful Arcade, Collet, Carlos Queen, Carrol,
> Cox’s Orange Pippin, Duchess of Oldenburg, Fall Red, Fort
> Mac Mac, Frostbite (Minnesota 447), Garland, Goodland,
> Haralred, Haralson,  Hazen, Heyer #2, Hibernal,
> Honeycrisp, Joyce, Lee #17, Lodi , MacIntosh, Millstream
> (Simred ), New Brunswick, 922 End, Noran, Norda, Norkent,
> Norland, Norquay Delight, September Ruby (Ruby Red),
> Simonette 1847, Parkland,
>  PF 5, Prairie Magic, Purple Passion, Redant, Red Pippin,
> Red Wonder, SK Prairie Sun, State Fair, Summer Red,
> Sunnybrook, Sunrise, Vick’s Pick, Westland, Wodarz, Y6211,
> Zaychuk #1, Zestar.
> 
> Apple-crabs/Crab-apples:  9  Brandywine,
> Centennial, Chestnut, Dolgo, Kerr,  Red Wonder (red
> flesh), Rosybrook, Trail, Trailman.
> 
> Pears: 26    
> 
> Bogataya (Russian), Bokaya  (Russian), Bolshaya 
> (Russian), Clapp’s Favorite, Curly Pear, Decabrinka
> (Russian, Of December), Early Gold, Federovski, Golden
> Spice, Hayatama (Asian), Kenko (Asian), Kikusui 
> (Asian), Kransobokaya (Russian, Red on the sunny side),
> Krazulya (Russian, Beauty), Krazura (Russian), Luscious,
> Martin, Ovalkaya  (Russian, Oval shaped), Roppo,
> Shinseiki (Asian), Summercrisp, Simonet, Tait- Dropmore
> ,Ure, Vekovaya  (Russian, Fantasy sort of like
> Disneyworld), Westfort.
> 
> Cherries:  32    
> Biga, Binga,
>  Black Nanking, Cerise de L’Ile, Evan’s, Giant Nanking,
> Lapins, Lee’s Black Flowering Nanking, Black Cherry Lake,
> Black Cherry Raven, Pink Candles Nanking, Rose, SK 
> Carmine Jewel, SK Crimson Passion, SK Cupid, SK Julliette,
> SK Romeo, SK Valentine,
> 
> Apricot: 11, Cowley, Manchurian, Morden 604, Scout,
> Sunshine Farm, Westcot.
> 
> Plums: 20    
> 
> Auenbacher Prune, BF 91, Brookgold, Brookred, Fofonoff,
> Greengage, Grenville, Ivanovka, La Crescent, Mt. Royal,
> Norther, Patterson Pride, Pembina, Pipestone, Ptitsen #10,
> Sprout’s Sunshine, Supreme, Tecumseh, Toka, Wagenheim
> Prune.
> 
> Peaches :   7,  Chui Lum Tao, Tzim Pee
> Tao,
> 
> Cherry Plums:  2,   Convoy,
> Sapa.    
> 
> Honeyberries : Blue Belle, Berry Blue, Blue Bird, Blue
> Velvet, Blue Pear, Cinderella, Polar Night , Polar Jewel,
> Svetlana.
> 
> 
> 
> 
>       
> 
> 
>       
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