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!

Smith's Cider Apple

Smith's Cider Apple

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SKU 00065
$0.00
Sold out
Product Details

This is a famous cider variety that also makes a delicious fresh eating apple. Developed in the 1800s Pennsylvania, this apple has a sweet to sweet-sharp flavor profile, with a nice hint of honey. The medium to large roundish fruit has thin, smooth and glossy skin, bright, pale yellow, shaded with pinkish-red. The white flesh is firm, crisp, tender, juicy, subacid, aromatic and sprightly. Ripens in October through December. Not a long keeper. Vigorous tree, bears young and is highly productive. True to its name, it is a good juice and cider apple.

Our now feral grandmother tree grows in a very old homestead mixed orchard in the old mining town of Pike City, Sierra County, CA @ 3500’. Pike was a bustling mining and logging town in the late 1800s. The trees have outlived the structures, as there is no trace of them still visible. We have discovered numerous new-to-us varieties in Pike, that we will be introducing over the next few season.

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Smith's Cider Apple
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