CONSERVATION

“One reason we are still making a table wine from our acre of Mission
grapes is that it was the first European variety brought to the New
World and was originally planted not too far from us in southern New
Mexico in 1629. It has been passed down and planted as an heirloom
variety in our region for over three hundred and eighty years. So
we are doing it as much for posterity and for the future as we are
for profit. It’s our modest contribution to maintaining traditions.”
Chris Wickham, Vitner, Tularosa Vineyards, Tularosa NM
States. Many apples and pears that fell out of fashion during Prohibition for lack of ship-ability
or fresh eating quality are now being rediscovered by cider makers and brandy distillers. If it
were not for the interest of apple brandy makers at Germain-Robin artisanal distillers near
Ukiah, California, the Sierra Beauty apple would have little value-added market distinction.
The artisanal cider makers and distillers emerging all across North America will often pay twice
the value per ton of fruit that orchard-keepers can garner from groceries or at roadside stands.
As such, artisanal processing of ciders and spirits—like heirloom-focused farmers markets and
festivals—are literally keeping dozens of fruit varieties alive that might otherwise go extinct.
Of the fourteen fruits, nuts and berries now boarded onto the Ark of Taste that we selected
for study, the average number of nurseries carrying them is 2.6, and an average of 11.5 growers
are now making part of their livelihoods by direct-marketing these fruits or their valueadded
products to the public. The Meyer lemon is being offered through the largest number
of nurseries (17), and it also has the most growers who list on localharvest.org (73), while
most other heirloom rarities still have less than ten growers nationwide. The Mission olive of
California and Arizona is next in importance, with 17 growers, most of whom cold-press its
extra virgin olive oil. Because of the longer time to maturation and harvest for tree crops than for
field vegetables, it is not surprising that the pace of recovery for fruits, nuts and berries lags far
behind that for annual field crops. They are also more vulnerable to climate change, since many
of them are typically long-lived so can suffer dramatic changes in climate over their life time.
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