Скачать или смотреть MOFGA Orchardist John Bunker's First Chats - Jan 23, 2014

Skidompha Public Library's popular Chats with Champions invited John Bunker, the founder of the MOFGA Heritage Orchard preservation project to speak at the library on January 23, 2014.

John Bunker grew up in Massachusetts and California, moving to Maine in 1968. He has lived in Palermo on Super Chilly Farm for the past 41 years, where he and Cammy Watts grow vegetables, woody and herbaceous ornamentals, small fruits, and tree fruits. He coordinates nursery sales for Fedco, the co-op seed and nursery company in Clinton. But his passion is tracking down heirloom fruit varieties, particularly those originating in Maine.

John established the Maine Heritage Orchard at the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association's (MOFGA) Common Ground in Unity. The orchard houses the only collection of apple varieties originating in Maine. Recently he has begun a much larger Heritage Orchard preservation project at MOFGA. Eventually the new orchard will be home to 500 or more historic pear and apple varieties. The first 100 apple varieties will be planted in April 2014.

Bunker coordinates an annual series of organic orcharding classes at MOFGA, the spring "Seed Swap and Scion Exchange," and the October "Great Maine Apple Day." John speaks and teaches in the New England area regularly year 'round. In 2007 Bunker self-published, "Not Far From the Tree: A Brief History of the Apples and the Orchards of Palermo, Maine."