July, 1986

Has the spirit of the North American Fruit Explorers reached Europe, or is there a trend in Western countries to find an escape from mass culture in, among other things, the microcosm of a fruit garden?

In 1978, a handful of fruit hobbyists in Eastern France, prompted by M.J.L. Loisel, founded the ASSOCIATION DES CROQUEURS DE POMMES, i.e., "association of apple munchers." Among the founders was Philippe Girardin, amateur pomologist and agricultural engineer. When Philippe visited me during a year of studies in Canada, he had just published an informative delightful booklet on the apple varieties of his home region. We had some lively conversations about our fruit hobby and its expression. Subsequently, he wrote an article about NAFEX for their quarterly, entitled "Our Cousins in America". He also translated a Pomona article for it.

LES CROQUEURS and NAFEX have a lot in common in interest, purpose and individual dedication, but they diverge in their modes of action in some rather interesting respects. While NAFEX derives its strength from turned-on members' individual efforts and is, essentially, self-serving, LES CROQUEURS are much, much more public-spirited, achieving community goals through group initiatives.

They hold public "Fruit Days" in urban centers, co-operate with professional and historical societies, found fruit preservation clubs at agricultural colleges and, above all, work on various levels to obtain the co-operation of rural and small-town communities. In France's highly centralized political structure, the benevolence of a government agency such as INRA (National Agricultural Research Institute) towards the fruit hobbyist movement can be helped to, trickle down to municipal administrations, with beautiful results such as this:

CONTRACT

Between: M.R. Bouchez, Mayor of Evette-Salbert, acting on behalf of this Municipality subsequent to a decision by the Municipal Council dated June 22, 1983,

And: M.R. Eglin, President of the Association des Croqueurs de Pommes.

The Parties have agreed to the following:

1. The Municipality puts at the disposition of the Association des Croqueurs de Pommes, a parcel of land, belonging to the Municipality, of about 20 ares (about 1/2 acre HFJ) situated behind the New Cemetery, Section AK, for the purpose of establishing a conservation orchard according to the enclosed plan.

2. The Association agrees to establish and maintain the orchard and it owns the crop thereof.

3. The orchard cannot be modified, removed or sublet without the consent of both Parties.

4. In case of dissolution of the Association the present agreement will be treated according to existing law.

Evette-Salbert, Nov. 15, 1983

Signed: R. Eglin

Signed: R. Bouchez, Mayor. (SEAL)

At least three of these fruit gardens are in operation and eleven more are in preparation. In other contracts, local administrations agree to the planting of cider apple and distillation cherry trees along rural roads. Most of the over 1,200 trees that have so far been planted come from a central nursery which LES CROQUEURS have established at Obernai, using MM 106 rootstocks supplied by INRA. Members scan their home territory for uncommon varieties, old or new, describe them and gather local and historical information. Varieties of merit are propagated in the central nursery for distribution.

Other activities include annual meetings, similar to the NAFEX format, local grafting and pruning workshops, operation of a pomological library and the publication of a quarterly LES CROQUEURS DE POMMES. Mostly written by permanent honorary editors this covers anything of interest to the membership, from planned activities to pomological history and systematics. Some issues include a special file of one or more sheets on a given variety with history, description and drawings. Compared to Pomona, there is limited membership input and more "lecturing." A "Mail Box" publishes and answers letters, carries ads for scions wanted or offered, members' reports on "finds", etc. An interesting project is the publication of apple variety posters in color.

The business address is: Association des Croqueurs de Pommes

B.P. 7 Belfort Place d'Armes

900016 Belfort, France

Will NAFEX be receptive to some cross-fertilization?