Most of the people I have talked to ignore them, allowing them to drop their fruit for wildlife before it rots into the ground. Some people actually rake up the fallen fruit, despite not using the fruit itself. Others, a very few of the people I have spoken with, use some of the fruit but cannot keep up with the trees (on good years).
So I began thinking about all of the food waste going on (yes, even the wildlife can't keep up, most years), as well as the fact that many of these trees are antique, heirloom, unsprayed trees that offer unique fruits that are not commercially grown anymore. Just down my road there is a house with an Arkansas Black apple tree, a variety not commonly planted since the turn of the 20th century (not that I've stopped and snuck a few apples while passing by or anything).
I already had this little "seed" in my brain, after hearing rumors of the Flying Fox fruiterer out in New York, a woman who travels around to local farms and picks the best and most unique fruits in order to bring them to the public at the New Amsterdam market, and I couldn't help but be a little inspired.
In addition to that, I have several places that I forage fruits from seedling apple and hawthorn trees, as well as saskatoons and several soft fruits (blackberries, wild gooseberries, etc).
And so my hope is to travel the SE Michigan area, sourcing forgotten harvests, chance seedling trees and other foraged morsels to bring to market for the 2014 season. I will keep intense records on each tree I harvest from, including location, possible varieties and tasting notes. I'll be keeping up with people using social media, posting updates, calls for trees/fruit, etc.
On the harvesting end of things, my goal is to find other accidental orchardists who are willing to let me come harvest fruit from their trees to bring to the local market. In exchange, I will help them address (organically and holistically) various issues in their trees including fertilizing, pruning and diagnosing fungal infections and pests. Once this gets going, I am happy to give back some of the profits I receive from the selling of the fruits, but for now I am looking for likeminded volunteers that understand that I am not doing this to make money.
On the market end of things, I will be working hard to educate people on the bounties of food that exist around them, as well as the varieties of flavors and textures not often offered in conventional fruit orchards. I want people to learn to accept the spots on their apples in exchange for knowing that superior flavor and texture, and a more healthful fruit, exists within.
So, if you know of a fruit tree or orchard in Michigan that has gone neglected, or if you are interested in helping out, please let me know.
I am still researching the legality of sales of fruit harvested from others' farms, but what I've found thus far states that as long as I have permission and accept liability, I should be fine!
