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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!

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Product Details

Popular American variety since the 1700’s, and still grown commercially. Gillet introduced it to the Western US in 1878. Fruit is large with a crisp, yellowish flesh, sometimes with red veins, covered with a deep red skin. Flesh is firm, rather coarse, crisp, with a blend of sugar and tartness. Juicy and tart with spicy, wine-like flavor and aroma. Good multi purpose for eating, juice, cider and baking. Ripens in late October through December. Keeps until February, at least. A heavy annual producer, adapted to a wide range of soils and climates. Blossoms are unusually red, a beautiful landscape accent. Resistant to rust and fireblight. Mother tree has very low codling moth damage. It is a very consistent producer despite being in a cold pocket. The fruit is remarkably yummy, especially after short to medium storage. Gets very little or no codling moth, and has good size fruit, despite no irrigation or thinning.

The mother tree grows on an original mining homestead along the north fork of the Yuba River in the old mining town of Goodyears Bar, Sierra County @ 2700’ elevation. The brothers Miles and Andrew Goodyear, along with a Dr. Vaughan and a Mr. Morrison, prospected here in the summer of 1849 and found gold enough for their liking to settle down at this crossing of the Yuba River. The Goodyear boys built a sturdy cabin and before long the rich deposits attracted a number of miners to their camp, which was given the name Goodyears Bar in honor of its founders. Goodyears Creek was incredibly rich along its entire length, having been literally fed gold for thousands of years as it chewed through gold-bearing ledges and the beds of ancient rivers and streams. At one spot near the upper end of the bar, a group of men cleaned up $2,000 in gold from a single wheelbarrow of dirt.

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