At first “Brother Apple” was invented as a whimsical nickname for Ben Watson, but it’s really more about this website and its main goal: to educate people about the wide-ranging history, culture and use of apples. We hope to do this with regularly updated information including articles and posts, as well as through short video clips on many topics and even featuring occasional guests.
Up until the early 20th century this kind of “apple literacy” was widely embraced by everyone, whether farmers or city dwellers. The seasons and specific uses of different apple varieties was considered very important to Americans in all regions of the country, and prized local varieties were discovered, propagated and made famous for their superior and distinctive qualities.
Today most of us have lost that intimate knowledge of the common apple, which we describe as “that most democratic of fruits,” available and affordable to everyone. We tend to take the apple for granted and consider the few types found in the supermarket to be the last word on the subject. Yet there is a whole universe of flavorful and fascinating apples to explore, and we hope to reveal that folk wisdom and diversity over the coming months and years.
So, if Brother Apple isn’t the name of an actual monk, it’s still a reverential nod to monk-like qualities: scholarship, research, and teaching; a love of nature and of all creation; and the pleasures of good food, good drink and good living. Through these we are all related in a great “apple fraternity” and we are all a part of Brother Apple.