The Future is Abundant
A Guide to Sustainable Agriculture

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Fruits of Sustainable Agriculture

Michael Pilarski

Had Johnny Appleseed a compatriot named Jimmy Cornseed, Jimmy's memory would have survived through only one, maybe two, harvests, for short is the life cycle of the corn plant. Johnny, on the other hand, sowed the seeds of his legend by planting trees--long-lived, dependable, fruit-bearing trees. So people remember him, through decades of apple pies, apple cider, and apples to keep the doctor away, harvest after harvest from those first trees.

Establishing an orchard, vineyard, or berry patch requires a substantial investment of care, capital and patience, for the rewards are not quick to come. But, like all wise investments, the return over time is substantial, and at a yearly cost of only a fraction of annual crops.

In the pages to follow, you will learn about varieties of nuts, berries and fruits that may not be familiar to you. While we have not neglected entirely the more common domestic varieties, we have chosen to emphasize the lesser-know wild cultivars. You'll find that varieties native to your region within the Pacific Northwest are well-adapted to modest but dependable food production, with fewer cultural demands than domestic varieties. And you'll discover new foods, new flavors: salal jam on pine-nut bread, huckleberry pie and rose-hips tea for dessert.

We begin with berries, wild and domestic.

The Future is Abundant A Guide to Sustainable Agriculture

Fruits of Sustainable Agriculture

Michael Pilarski

The Future is Abundant
A Guide to Sustainable Agriculture