[Sca-cooks] Fw: Request from Akim

[david friedman]

>
>  > I have located some new sources of extremely rare period fruit trees (I
>have to have them custom grafted though). I think that the source even has
>>  found a living tree of the thought-to-be extinct British 12th century
>>  Costard apples. It would be wonderfully educational to have an
>>  orchard full of these period varieties. Eventually, perhaps I could even
>>  begin grafting them myself for fruit tree sales to the SCA. But I don't
>>  want to go to the expense and trouble if no one will PICK AND USE the
>  > fruit.

I've been planting period fruit tree varieties for a very long time, 
although unfortunately I've also been moving around over the years, 
leaving trees behind me in several states. I think the best source I 
have found is Southmeadow; they have a web page at:

http://www.southmeadowfruitgardens.com/

Are you familiar with them?

Having an orchard full of period varieties would be very nice, and it 
sounds as though you have the room for it. The problem, as you note, 
is distribution. People near you could take advantage of the sort of 
program you suggest, but it would be hard for the rest of us.

A further problem is that although some of us are very interested in 
that level of authenticity, we are a very small minority of the SCA, 
so the number of such people close enough to you is not, I am afraid, 
going to support very many trees.

Incidentally, did you know that grocery stores near Pennsic used to 
carry Summer Rambo apples--and they were available at about the time 
of Pennsic? We always made a point of getting some. Unfortunately, we 
haven't seen them in recent years.

Also, do people here know about Applesource? They ship apples of many 
varieties, including a few that are period, in small quantities. Very 
useful if you are thinking of growing an obscure variety and want to 
know how it tastes first. You might want to get in touch with them 
and see if they are interested in buying period apples from you.

http://www.applesource.com/
-- 
David/Cariadoc
http://www.daviddfriedman.com/