December 2006 Newsletter

To read the full newsletter online, please go here

Dear Kitchen Gardener,
You see a long line of parents and grandparents, over 500 people
in all, waiting in line for something.  It's the holiday season
and you ask yourself: "So which one are they waiting for: the new Sony Playstation 3
or the Nintendo Wii?"  If you are feeling cynical about
humankind, you might
even wonder: "Why aren't they fighting each other for better position
like they usually do?"
Would you believe me if I told you
that these peaceful-looking people aren't waiting in line for the
latest electronic gift sensation, but for a free heirloom apple
tree?

Welcome to

Wanganui, New Zealand.  Some of us in the Northern Hemisphere
may think of New Zealanders as an upside-down kind of people. 
They drive on the left, their seasons are the opposite of ours, and
they use funny names and words such as a "chilly-bin" (a cooler), "brekkie" (breakfast), and
"kornies" (corn flakes).
While some of what they say and do may seem upside down
to us, New Zealanders are some of the most upright and honest folks
on the planet. 
The global anti-corruption NGO
"Transparency International" voted New Zealand tied for first place
with Finland  as the least corrupt nation.   In case
you're wondering, the UK ranks 11th, Australia 9th, Canada 14th, and the
US 17th.  Chad tied with Bangladesh for last place at 158th.
Honest people like honest
pleasures and what could be more honest than a  heirloom apple? 
The idea for Wanganui's apple tree give away program came from Mark Christensen of the Central Districts Tree Crops
Association who sees the project as being as much about public
health as it home gardening.
The heritage variety being
distributed is
called "Monty's Surprise".  "There they go
again with their funny names" you might be tempted to say, but
there's nothing funny about cancer.  Of all the good eating
apples tested by Christensen, Monty's Surprise had the highest level
of cancer-fighting "procyanidin
and quercetin flavonoid compounds", 4 times as many as other popular
apples such as Red Delicious. 
Based on the public's response to the project, you'd
think the organizers were handing out free drugs of a less wholesome
sort.  In the
end, Christensen gave away over 800 trees (including 200 to schools)
and ended up having to turn hundreds of people away.  
Local health officials were also stunned by the success of the
launch.
“What blew us
away more than anything was that people were prepared to give the
time and energy for something that’s not for immediate benefit,”
commented Anne Kauika
of

Wanganui's Public Health Center.
In an age that values instant gratification
over patience, it's encouraging to see that there are still people
who are prepared to take the slow and winding road
(also known as the "scenic route") in life instead of the
superhighway. 
Next year,
Christensen
is planning on giving away 4000 more trees and
has started a similar research project to study which heirloom
tomato varieties have the highest levels of the cancer-fighting
antioxidant lycopene. 
I can already hear him at a future tree
give-away: "Would you like a Brandywine with that Monty's Surprise?" 
Best holiday wishes,

PS: Thanks to all of you who contributed in some way
to Kitchen Gardeners this past year.  We're bringing our 2006 funding
appeal to an end and would appreciate whatever gesture of support you can
offer, be it an
online
donation, a
check, or

something else you feel you can contribute.   We now have
2900 people from 60 countries on our mailing list.  Together, we can
grow a better food system.
PPS: Mark

Christensen has sent
us a copy of the brochure (available
here as a pdf file) handed out with each apple tree for anyone
interested in exploring a tree or seedling give-away program in his or her
community.  The free trees were distributed this year at a local
nursery which apparently had its best day with many tree-takers staying on
to do some shopping.