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By Vicki Randolph
Walking down the busy aisle at the Ashe County Farmers Market
pavilion, there are so many things to take in. Senses are awakened
on Saturday mornings...the sounds of happy neighbors catching
up on the past week's adventures, the smells of fresh baked breads
and pastries, the sight of blossoming apple trees waiting to be
transplanted, the taste of homemade sausage and farm raised eggs
(free samples!) and the feel of being a part of something bigger
than yourself.
In a time when technology and Corporate America seem to be the
only way, there are some who thankfully buck the dominant system.
Lucky for us, some of those wonderful people live in Ashe County
and add to the flavor of our unique community.
There is not enough room in this column to list every possible
vendor you'll find at the market. But take my word for it, there
really are butchers, bakers and candlestick makers...and then
some!
"Farmer Features" will help everyone else get to know
the folks that are such an important part of our community and
local economy.
This week's Farmer Feature spotlights apple farmers Ron and Suzanne
Joyner of Big Horse Creek Farm in Lansing. Part of the farmers
market crowd for about a dozen years, they are familiar faces
to many. They are not only locally well know for providing heirloom
varieties of apples to the High Country, but their apple trees
are growing in every state besides North Dakota and Hawaii. (Yes,
that includes Alaska.)
The Joyners raise about 350 varieties of apples. Now, for those
of you who only know how to eat Red Delicious and Granny Smiths,
you may be surprised to find out that those 350 species are only
a drop in the apple grower's bucket!
American Beauty, Ashmead's Kernel, Bietigheimer, Green Cheese,
Mother, Pink Pearl, Pumpkin Sweet, Snow and North Carolina Beauty
are just a few of the interesting names of the apples found at
Big Horse Creek Farm. Then there's the Summer Banana, which reportedly
tastes and smells like ripe bananas. The Yankee Sweet variety
is one that makes me think of myself-kind of rare, a sweet yankee!
There are currently an estimated 13,000 different varieties of
apples world wide. The southeastern United States was once home
to 1,600 identified varieties in the 1800s. That is part of the
reason the Joyners work so hard at what they do.
"A lot of those apples are gone-extinct forever," says
Ron. "That's what we're trying to do-prevent these rare varieties
of antique heritage apples from being lost forever."
The Joyners have been collecting apples since the early 1990s.
They gather and propagate old varieties to keep them from being
lost and forgotten. There are hundreds more heritage varieties
than even they have, and they are always looking for more.
If anyone has a tree or finds an apple they think is rare or historical,
they can contact the Joyners through their website www.BigHorseCreekFarm.com.
They will be able to tell more about that apple than most people
could even imagine.
The Joyner's website has the names of hundreds of varieties. Most
of them have links to the known history of the apple and some
have pictures of the fruit and blooms. For example, the Junaluska,
long sought after by apple collectors and thought to be extinct,
was "found" after being lost for 150 years.
The Cherokee were big apple growers and had orchards galore, according
to the apple experts. There is a lot of rich history behind this
common fruit . . .which turns out isn't always so common after
all.
Stop by and visit Ron and Suzanne at the market sometime. They
will be happy to give a quick Apple Tree 101 lesson. The science
behind grafting and propagating is fun and interesting. "A
lot of the work we do is educational," says Ron.
For starters, did you know that each and every apple seed holds
the potential to grow a new variety? The way genetics work, planting
a Virginia Beauty apple seed doesn't give you a pure Virginia
Beauty apple tree. The only way to do it is by grafting.
There's so much more, so stop by and visit, ask some questions,
plant an apple tree for yourself or just wait until this fall,
when the Joyners are sure to offer a wide selection of fruits
to chose from.
Apple trees can't be shipped to Hawaii, but if you know anyone
in North Dakota who could use some, Ron and Susanne sure would
like to complete their distribution map!
Don't forget the Ashe County Highschool Chorus will be performing
this Saturday, to entertain and serenade vendors and shoppers.
Until next time, keep it fresh and local! |
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