Workshops – Books – Tours – Trees – Plants

Thanks to Peaceful Valley Farm and Garden Supply (originally started by our founder Amigo Bob Cantisano), a collection of some of our favorite species and varieties  are available for pre-sale through their website for the 2024/25 Bare Root Season 

Felix Gillet Collector Trees

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Below: the SOLD OUT Varieties listed are for informational purposes only. These are the trees and plants that we have re-discovered and sold over the years. They are the result of our passionate searches throughout Northern California, the Sierra Nevada and Western States to re-discover the historic, agricultural, living library still in existence. These trees and plants, left over from the 1800’s and early 1900’s Gold Rush era, were discovered on historic mining camps, ranches, and  homesteads. Most of these trees have become climate resilient with no human attention for the last 100 plus years. They give the best fruit and nuts in conditions that most fruit and nut trees cannot endure with large annual temperature variations.

These  grandmother trees have learned to thrive under the most harsh conditions, and with uncertain weather patterns.  It is our goal to make them available to growers, gardeners and communities throughout the West Coast.

We have personally taken cuttings directly from the 100+ year old grandmother trees that still cling to life in some, often deserted, historic orchards. The Felix Gillet Institute trees are very rare, exclusive plants – some may have only just been rediscovered.

95% of plants available during the 1800s are no longer available today.  We are saving what is left before they die. 

 You can become a Mother Orchard Supporter and help us in our efforts to discover more rare, historical trees and care for our collection of over 250 trees, by clicking on the Mother Orchard link above.

Ten of these varieties are available through Peaceful Valley Farm and Garden Supply this year 2024/25. 

Thank you for all your Support!

Old School Apple

Old School Apple

Store/Apples
SKU 001751
$0.00
Sold out
Rootstock
Product Details

Joy, our wonderful bookkeeper came on the adventure when we were looking for new apple trees. She spotted this 10' tree growing in the shade of a large schoolhouse built in the 1800s. It had a large crop of medium to large apples that ripen in early October at 4500'. With bright, yellow-green flesh, the skin is covered in a powdery pastel bloom. The sunny side turns a bright red in full sun, while apples in the shade remain yellow with red sun spots. The high quality and flavor stand out in this apple, and it was immediately a clear favorite among us. With crisp flesh, subacid, sugary-sweet juice and superb taste, this apple reminds us of the Sierra Beauty. Though not yet positively identified, this high quality apple is a must have for fresh eating, apple juice, and, of course, cider.

Year after year, the historic mining town of Forest City never ceases to provide more and more unique apples of the highest quality. Gold was discovered here in 1852 and first named Brownsville. In 1854 the town voted to change the name to Forest City. It was, at that time, the site of the Bald Mountain Drift Mine, which was the largest of its kind in California, but a fire devastated the town in 1865 and little was rebuilt after that. It is considered a ghost town, although a few people still live there, and some original buildings still remain such as the dance hall, schoolhouse and a few homes.


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Old School Apple
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