Cornwall's Feral Orchard: Cultivating the Wild Stories in Our Hedgerows

14 hours ago7 min read2 comments

In a quiet corner of Cornwall, a different kind of agricultural project is taking root. It’s a story not of innovation, but of reclamation—a deep dive into the connections between people, place, and the forgotten flora thriving in our landscape.Local creatives William Arnold and James Fergusson are spearheading this initiative, planting an orchard dedicated solely to 'feral' apples. These are not the standardized, commercially-bred fruits of supermarket fame.Instead, they are the rugged descendants of discarded cores, the volunteers that emerge unbidden in hedgerows, along footpaths, and in the wild margins of the countryside. Each tree is a living narrative, its origins shrouded in time, its very existence a testament to natural resilience.A walk through their young orchard is a tour through a forgotten library of flavors and forms—apples that are knobby, strangely blushed, or carry a tannic bite that challenges the modern palate. This endeavor forces a crucial reflection: in an era of industrial agriculture and genetic uniformity, what value does the wild hold? Arnold and Fergusson are not mere farmers; they are curators of biological randomness.Their work posits that true value is often found not in perfection, but in character—in the story etched into a tree's gnarled bark and the unique tartness of its fruit. Their project taps into a growing, perhaps subconscious, human yearning for authenticity. It is a quiet rebellion against the sanitized and predictable, a powerful reminder that the most compelling stories—and the most flavorful apples—are often those that have grown freely, shaped not by human design, but by the wind, the soil, and a stubborn, enduring will to live.

#feral apples

#orchard

#art exhibition

#food and art

#Cornwall

#featured

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