Maine Heritage Orchard in Unity and saving Maine's heritage apples

John Bunker is a farmer, author, artist, historian, educator, and mentor to many aspiring and established apple growers, and both home and professional cider makers. Over the years he has tried his hand at many different ventures. Yet none of these things grabbed his attention like the old apple trees growing in the fields around Palermo. As he picked the fruits from these neglected trees each fall, he noticed the differences in the apples - to his surprise they were not all Macs. Through seasons of observation and hours of discussions with the old-timers around town, he learned to identify the different varieties and appreciate their stories. His interest grew into a passion that became his life's work. In 1984 John started Fedco Trees ostensibly to encourage others to plant trees, but really it was a way to fund his insatiable habit of tracking down heirloom fruit varieties in all corners of Maine. Read his full bio on his website, outonalimbapples.com.