“Twenty years ago, Stefan Sobkowiak bought a commercial apple orchard with the intention of converting it to an organic orchard. He did just that, but eventually understood the limitations of the organic model originating from monoculture. He then decided to tear out most of the trees and replant in a way that would maximize biodiversity and yield while minimizing the amount of maintenance required. Inspired by permaculture principles, the orchard now counts over 100 cultivars of apples, plus several types of plums, pears, cherries, and countless other fruits and vegetables.”
YouTube
Interesting update to this orchard: The Permaculture Orchard: Beyond Organic (the film)
My favorite line in the video: “How often do you get wowed by food in a grocery store?” How true. What Stefan is achieving is the type of high quality flavor and abundance I’m looking forward to (and already starting to get to a degree) from our forest garden.