Mother Jones this week published a fascinating article on the humble apple. The apple tells the classic story of industrialized agriculture. There were once thousands of varieties of apples grown across the United States, each grown with unique traits and suited for specific purposes. Some were grown for pies and canning, others for eating fresh, others for storage into winter, still others for making cider.
Today, though, just five varieties dominate U.S. apple production: the Red Delicious, Gala, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, and Fuji. While others are grown in smaller quantities, thousands of varieties have been lost over time. The Atlantic tells the story of one man’s quest to bring them back. That man, John Bunker of Fedco Trees, has restored between 80 and 100 formerly lost varieties over the past thirty years.
The nature of apple production presents particular challenges and makes John Bunker’s quest even more…
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Dr. Bukar Ali USMAN, mni 