Tom Brown is an apple hunter and orchardist. Brown focuses on discovering "lost" heirloom apple varietals in North Carolina and throughout Appalachia.[1]
Tom Brown | |
|---|---|
| Born | |
| Occupation(s) | Apple hunter; orchardist |
Life edit
Brown was born in rural North Carolina.[2] A chemical engineer at one time employed by the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, Brown retired from his job in the late 1990s.[3][4] Brown first encountered heritage apples at a stand run by Maurice Marshall at a farmer's market in 1998.[5] Marshall and Brown discussed rediscovering lost apple varieties which had exited commercial production, piquing Brown's interest.[5] The first apple Brown rediscovered was of a variety known as "Yellow Potts". Brown discovered the apple in Iredell County in the year after speaking with Marshall.[6] Since 1999, Brown has found some 1200 "lost" apple varieties.[7]
Searching for lost varieties generally involves interviewing residents in rural parts of Appalachia who may have knowledge of where to find apple trees, and finding defunct orchards, some of which may have become reincorporated into forests.[5] Brown also displays rare apple varieties at events, such as farmer's markets, in Appalachia each year,[5] where he receives information from attendees about locations for him to investigate.[4]
Brown cultivates heirloom varieties at his own orchard, including Royal Lemon, Night Dropper, and Rabun Bald.[5]
References edit
- ^ Blumberg, Perri. "Tom Brown Is On a Mission to Restore Appalachia's Rare and Lost Apples". Southern Living. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
- ^ Muzdakis, Madeleine (15 August 2021). "This Retired Engineer Has Saved Over 1,200 Varieties of Apples From Extinction". My Modern Met. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
- ^ Giovanelli, Laura (October 23, 2008). "Man's detective work has identified more than 800 heirloom apples". The News & Advance. Retrieved July 23, 2022.
- ^ a b Martin, SaraRose (December 26, 2019). "Man searches for famous lost apple variety that originated near Williamsburg". The Virginia Gazette. Retrieved July 23, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e Wallace, Eric J. (3 June 2021). "Meet the Appalachian Apple Hunter Who Rescued 1,000 'Lost' Varieties". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
- ^ Howell, Carole (1 August 2016). "On the Hunt for Old Timey Apples". Carolina Country. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
- ^ Rabha, Bismita (2 December 2021). "The Heritage Apple Hunter: The story of Tom Brown". The Organic Magazine. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
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