When I was younger our family always watched for those abandoned apple tress that you see along road and highway right-of-ways. Amazingly, they kept on producing fruit, even in the worst of circumstances. When possible, we collected the abandoned fruit for treats for our horses or sometimes for a tasty apple pie for the collectors.

Recently I've learned that there are organizations searching for abandoned trees and orchards, looking for rare apple varieties once thought to be extinct. So now when looking at these trees I no longer see just horse treats or pies, I see an opportunity to restore, develop and save perhaps rare apple varieties for future generations.

To find more information on these organizations and their projects just search for 'deserted apple trees' on the internet.

SIDE NOTE: Our family used to call these apples 'Road Apples', as they were usually found alongside a road. I've discovered there's another definition for the term: A 'Road Apple' is a term for animal feces, often found on a road, usually from a horse. I think we're going to have to come up with a new term.

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