Monday, December 9, 2013

Hope on the horizon - Red Tractor Farm

Red Tractor Farm in Greece is turning the dream of re-discovering acorns as a food source into a reality.  It gives me great hope for the future.  Read this, watch the video.  Looks like paradise to me!

I received a "mail chimp" email from Red Tractor Farm about their 2013 acorn harvest.  I'll try to figure out how to post it on this site.  To quote:

3000 kilos (6600 lbs) of acorn collected in 5 weeks.

We began whacking green acorn out of the trees in late September. Trees that have been harvested in this manner, in the past, are healthier and heavier with acorns this year. We've learned that the best method for whacking the trees, in order not to damage the next year's crop. is from the trunk outward. Volunteers must be fearless of heights and able to climb trees as well as swing a stick.
That whole "fearless of heights" thing rules me out of the harvest process.  Second rung on the step ladder and my knees start to quake.  I will learn more from them about methods of harvesting acorns that do not reduce the size of the following year's crop.  This is fascinating to me, and critically important.

On an unrelated - and very stupid - note, it's surprising that the Greek economy is in so much trouble.  My family alone buys about 50 tubs of their yogurt every week.

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