Historic Fruit Orchards

spyfferoni · August 18, 2007

We stopped at Capital Reef National Park on our way home from our family vacation. They have a historic district that they maintain including the orchards that the pioneers planted. They are trying to keep the same varieties growing that were first planted there, and they have added a few newer varieties. It was really neat to see. We got to pick apples. The kids loved it. The setting is amazing! I'm really glad the Park service is trying to preserve the orchards. We also visited a one room school house and saw Indian Petroglyphs. It was really neat. When we found the apples that were ripe and ready to pick they were just delicious! I don't know the variety. They were a pale green/yellow color and some of them had a little blush and the flesh was a creamy color, almost pale yellow. The texture was amazing---so crisp. They have a variety there I would have liked to try called Capital Reef Red---it wasn't quite ripe though. I'll try to get some photos uploaded soon.

redbrick · August 18, 2007

That sounds awesome! I'll have to do a search on that. Thanks for the tip!

Ruth_10 · August 19, 2007

That's great that the National Park System is preserving the orchard and that you took the time to visit it and enjoy it. I'm sure the park system pays attention to how much interest something like that generates. Orchards and gardens true to the period are just as much a part of history as a wagon or a chair or a house.

I grew up in an area where orchards accounted for a big chunk of the agriculture in the area (west Michigan). The orchards are really struggling these days with the cheap (below cost) juice imports from China. The number of varieties of apples grown has shrunk dramatically over the years because people have gotten used to seeing and eating only a few varieties. That's a loss because each variety has its own strengths and best uses.

redbrick · August 21, 2007

How about from over five thousand varieties to less than five hundred in one century? Of course, a lot of those lost varieties were suitable for cider or animal fodder and not much else, but not all, by any means!

Of course, the best tasting apple is worthless commercially if it's rotten when it reaches market.

spyfferoni · August 29, 2007

Here are some photos. I also included a photo of the petroglyphs across the road from the orchards.

August 18, 2007	#1
spyfferoni Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Utah Posts: 675	Historic Fruit Orchards We stopped at Capital Reef National Park on our way home from our family vacation. They have a historic district that they maintain including the orchards that the pioneers planted. They are trying to keep the same varieties growing that were first planted there, and they have added a few newer varieties. It was really neat to see. We got to pick apples. The kids loved it. The setting is amazing! I'm really glad the Park service is trying to preserve the orchards. We also visited a one room school house and saw Indian Petroglyphs. It was really neat. When we found the apples that were ripe and ready to pick they were just delicious! I don't know the variety. They were a pale green/yellow color and some of them had a little blush and the flesh was a creamy color, almost pale yellow. The texture was amazing---so crisp. They have a variety there I would have liked to try called Capital Reef Red---it wasn't quite ripe though. I'll try to get some photos uploaded soon.

August 18, 2007	#2
redbrick Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Lebanon PA, zone 6 Posts: 45	That sounds awesome! I'll have to do a search on that. Thanks for the tip! __________________ "Any man may count the seeds in an apple, yet who can know the apples in a seed?" --Chinese Proverb (paraphrased)

August 19, 2007	#3
Ruth_10 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: MO z6a near St. Louis Posts: 1,349	That's great that the National Park System is preserving the orchard and that you took the time to visit it and enjoy it. I'm sure the park system pays attention to how much interest something like that generates. Orchards and gardens true to the period are just as much a part of history as a wagon or a chair or a house. I grew up in an area where orchards accounted for a big chunk of the agriculture in the area (west Michigan). The orchards are really struggling these days with the cheap (below cost) juice imports from China. The number of varieties of apples grown has shrunk dramatically over the years because people have gotten used to seeing and eating only a few varieties. That's a loss because each variety has its own strengths and best uses. __________________ --Ruth Some say the glass half-full. Others say the glass is half-empty. To an engineer, it’s twice as big as it needs to be.

August 21, 2007	#4
redbrick Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Lebanon PA, zone 6 Posts: 45	How about from over five thousand varieties to less than five hundred in one century? Of course, a lot of those lost varieties were suitable for cider or animal fodder and not much else, but not all, by any means! Of course, the best tasting apple is worthless commercially if it's rotten when it reaches market. __________________ "Any man may count the seeds in an apple, yet who can know the apples in a seed?" --Chinese Proverb (paraphrased)