God Save the Queen's Apples.
The apple don’t fall far from the tree – but what if there aren’t any trees left? According to The Guardian, traditional orchards in the British countryside may cease to exist by the end of the century. Natural England and the National Trust are claiming that 60 percent of orchards have already disappeared since the 1950′s. Devon in particular has lost 90 percent of its orchards.
Naturally, Brits are bummed. A source of food is gone and the local ecosystems are out of whack (i.e. the birds, bees and bats are looking for new homes). Locals don’t want their pies and cider made from chemically-enhanced fruit. Moreover, local environmental organizations are saying that it’s not simply about the food – it’s about the heritage.
There are also varieties of the apple that are specific to these British orchards: 2,300 cooking apples, and a few hundred more used for cider making. Some of the endangered brands are: the Star of Devon, the Killerton Sharp, and the Ten Commandments, named for the ten brown dots you find when split in two.
Here’s a quote from Sue Clifford, director of the eco-charity Common Ground, consider the unique fruit:
“That’s just apples. Think of the pears and the plums and the damsons… I think people are starting to realise that orchards are beautiful places. They are fantastic for wildlife and they are good for community spirit.”
Taking care of your apples everyday will keep Mother Nature’s disasters away. Get on it.
XO, The Green Gamine
P.S. A little blue birdie said you should follow me on Twitter! Merci.
