Cornish Orchard Cultivates a Living Archive of Wild 'Feral' Apples

2 hours ago7 min read

In a quiet corner of Cornwall, a unique horticultural project is challenging the very definition of an apple. Local creatives William Arnold and James Fergusson are planting an orchard dedicated entirely to 'feral' apples—trees grown from discarded cores that have gone wild, surviving for generations without human intervention.These are not the uniform, commercially-bred fruits found in supermarkets, but unique genetic individuals shaped by wind, wildlife, and chance. Arnold and Fergusson act as curators of this living library, gathering these wildlings to preserve a stunning diversity of flavors and forms overlooked by industrial agriculture.Their initiative, 'Some Interesting Apples,' aligns with movements like slow food and heritage seeds, representing a quiet rebellion against the homogenization of our food supply. This endeavor is a profound commitment to biodiversity; the genetic potential within these feral apples could one day provide crucial resilience against diseases and climate shifts that threaten commercial monocultures.Each fruit tells a secret history of the land, a narrative of random pollination and natural perseverance. In our highly managed world, nurturing the feral is a radical act—a patient embrace of uncertainty where the greatest reward is the surprise of what each tree will bear. It is a project that forces us to slow down, observe, and find profound beauty in every knobbly, misshapen, and gloriously imperfect apple.

#feral apples

#orchard

#Cornwall

#art project

#agriculture

#biodiversity

#featured

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