Orchards in the Ocean State
When you bite into an apple, do you think about the processes and people that have sustained such delectable moments since William Blackstone planted Rhode Island’s first orchard in 1635? Michael Bell offers a window into the taken-for-granted world of apple growing families and orchard workers; a behind-the-scenes view of fruit stands, farmers’ markets, and pick-your-own; of apples from the Yellow Sweeting’ to the Honey Crisp’ and activities from cider-making to pie-baking; of the yearly cycle of planting, pruning, spraying, thinning, harvesting, and marketing. The central story of Rhode Island’s apple orchards is how growers have balanced the traditional approaches that were handed down to them by their parents and grandparents with changing technology and markets so that they can continue to succeed in a business that is fraught with economic uncertainty. The talk is illustrated with photographs taken by Alexander Caserta.
Dr. Michael E. Bell, consulting folklorist with the Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission, develops and implements programs that express and interpret Rhode Island folklife and oral history. He received his Ph.D. in Folklore from Indiana University, Bloomington, 1980 and his dissertation topic was African American voodoo practices. He is principal scholar on the Pawtuxet Village: One Space, Many Places project and the Pawtuxet Village Freedom Project; Folklorist on the Languages of the Land: a Dialogue with Salter Grove and Fish Tales projects, amongst many others. He is on the board of directors at the Cranston Historical Society, Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Voices and Visions of Village Life project, and former Chair of the Cranston Historic District Commission.
Needs: Powerpoint projector (preferred) or slide projector/screen and lighted lectern/water