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Lost Nation Orchard: growing organic apples with Apple Grower author Michael Phillips
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Golden Apples

Supporting the good work of the Holistic Orchard Network!

Those of us who enjoy Public Radio know that our mutual listening pleasure is funded primarily through voluntary pledge drives. Truth is the good work of any community effort needs financial support.

Let me tell you about Hercules and the Golden Apples.

Hercules
Ol' Herc was facing the next to last of his epic Twelve Labors. Finding a mythical apple tree far to the North whose fruit granted immortal health seemed doable enough. This tree was said to grow in the garden of the Hesperides, three beautiful nymphs, who just happened to be close friends with the mighty Atlas.
Hercules struck a deal with the Titan: "I'll hold up the Heavens, mate, while you take a break and see your friends. All I want in return is for you to fetch me a few apples for King Eurystheus."
Atlas could not believe his luck. It was such a weight off his shoulders. What a relief!
Atlas hobnobbed with the lovely sisters for what seemed forever to Hercules. Finally he sauntered back with three Golden Apples and a big grin. Atlas was in no hurry to resume his supporting role.

All of us are working hard to grow "Golden Apples" that impart health to our families and friends in the communities where we live. Having a grower's network where we can exchange ideas, propose solutions, and basically accelerate our mutual learning curve is a good way of tapping into holistic knowledge.

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leftie The Apple Grower: A Guide for the Organic Orchardist -- click for book summary
The Apple Grower: A Guide for the Organic Orchardist

You've been enjoying these web pages.

Now it's time to consider lending your financial support to this mutual work. $5, $10, $25, $40. You decide a pledge amount that works for you. The time and direct costs that go into setting up each and every orchardist web page that you find here amounts to $150 per page. Frankly, we need your help defraying these expenses if we are to keep putting this information up and making it freely accessible. If enough growers deem Michael's work worth supporting, well then, ladies and gents, there's plenty more we can plan on doing. From a European research tour to enabling grants that make soil food web testing possible in coordinated orchard trials.

Click the PayPal button and you can instantly "do your share" by credit card to support the outreach and good hopes of this grower's network. The amount of your networking donation is chosen on this direct payment link by multiples of $5. Or, if you prefer, we invite you to send a check to:

Michael Phillips
859 Lost Nation Road
Groveton, NH 03582

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Michael Phillips, Organic Orchardist -- click for more on Organic Orcharding

Should you know someone who wants to help an apple grower-initiated cause in a more substantial way, please have them email Michael directly about the visionary ideas and real world needs of community orchardists everywhere.

While we can't offer you a tax break, we can certainly give heartfelt thanks for helping small-scale growers figure out how to walk gently in the sustainable orchard!

Golden Apples: Supporting the good work of the Holistic Orchard Network!

Now you're probably wondering what finally came of Hercules and his particular quest for those Golden Apples.

Atlas told Hercules that he would take the precious fruit to King Eurystheus in his stead. It doesn't take an especially large brain to realize Atlas had decided on a plan that would leave Hercules holding up the sky all on his lonesome.
Hercules had learnt to match wits with the best in his earlier adventures: "Sure thing, buddy. But before you go, I'm getting a bit sore in the shoulders. Can you take over for a sec while I put a bit of padding around my neck?"
Turns out Atlas had a sense of shared responsibility after all. Once again he found himself back at his assigned task of holding up the Heavens. So Hercules returned to Mycenae with the Golden Apples to give to Eurystheus . . . who then donated the fruit to Athena . . . who then returned them to the Hesperides where the apples had come from in the first place.
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Adapted illustration by John Bunker, FEDCO Trees -- click for Holistic Orchard Research home page

And while this apple grower may not have an especially apt moral tie-in to our current quest, it's kind of nice to realize that which goes around comes back to benefit us all, no?

Holistic Orchard Research

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Lost Nation Orchard: growing organic apples with Apple Grower author Michael Phillips btm
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