Old barn in Somerset, England, with ancient cider press against the far wall. Photographed by JPB in 2011.

Today we got more rain. We’ll take it, especially when combined with more moderate temperatures. We had planned to spray Dipel on the webworms that have invaded the orchard, but that will have to wait. Laura arrived early ready to spray, but instead got to work on the computer and the DIRK (Data Identification Research Key) project. Unfortunately, fire blight is back in the orchard, and we’ll be cutting it out again as soon as we can.
Yesterday I attended a two-hour zoom call with fourteen apple historians and scientists from the UK and four of us from the US. Our objective was to discuss identification of historic apples through DNA profiling and how to collaborate with one another and transition to the newer SNP process. Their challenges are similar to the ones we’ve faced here in the US as we’ve developed collaborations with one another across the country. One of those attending was John Teiser who I have worked with for the past twelve years to import UK historic cider apples through the USDA APHIS program (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service). To date we’ve imported about two dozen, many of which have been released and are now growing in our test orchard at Finley Lane. When we go to the UK this fall, we will see many of those who attended yesterday’s meeting, most for the first time in person.