The Maine Heritage Orchard (MHO), located on MOFGA’s campus in Unity, Maine, is a vibrant preservation project dedicated to protecting the state’s agricultural heritage. As it celebrates its 10th anniversary, the orchard symbolizes environmental stewardship, community collaboration, and educational innovation. What started as an effort to save Maine’s rare, heirloom apple varieties has transformed into a beacon for sustainable agriculture and pomological preservation.
Once an abandoned gravel pit, the orchard has blossomed into a thriving sanctuary that features nearly 400 varieties of historic apples and pears. Its journey reflects a story of transformation and resilience, driven by a commitment to safeguard Maine’s agricultural legacy while educating and inspiring future generations.
A Vision Realized: From Gravel Pit to Preservation Orchard
The seeds for this transformation were planted over a decade ago when Russell Libby, then MOFGA’s executive director, envisioned an orchard dedicated to preserving and sharing Maine’s rare apple varieties. His ambitious plan involved repurposing an exhausted gravel pit into a thriving orchard that would also function as an educational and research hub.
“We needed a home for the hundreds of rare old apple varieties we were discovering throughout the state,” Libby explained during the orchard’s early planning stages. Despite the challenges, the MOFGA board embraced this vision wholeheartedly. Libby’s dream continued to inspire efforts even after his passing in 2012. In the spring following his death, MOFGA staff and volunteers began transforming the gravel pit by carefully terracing the land to accommodate the trees and constructing protective fencing to shield the saplings from deer. By 2014, the first 100 historic apple trees were planted, marking a collective leap of faith towards a greener future.
Preserving a Living History
The orchard now serves as a living gene bank for some of Maine’s rarest apple and pear varieties — fruits that might have otherwise disappeared into obscurity. Each year, more trees are planted, representing varieties carefully sourced from abandoned homesteads, old farms, and forgotten fields.
The orchard’s mission extends beyond preservation; it aims to capture the stories embodied in these heirloom trees — tales of early orchardists, hardworking farmers, and community resilience. By preserving these fruits, we ensure that their flavors, histories, and genetic legacies endure.
John Bunker: Champion for Apple Preservation
John Bunker, a renowned apple preservationist, played a pivotal role in the orchard’s development. His passion for apples began in his college years, and he spent decades scouring the countryside for rare varieties. Bunker’s meticulous documentation and grafting efforts have helped save countless apples from extinction.
Through Fedco Trees and his work with MOFGA, Bunker championed the preservation of rare apple varieties, helping establish the Maine Heritage Orchard and selecting the orchard’s first plantings. His historical knowledge and storytelling continue to inspire generations of orchardists and fruit enthusiasts.
Education and Community Engagement
Education is central to the Maine Heritage Orchard’s mission. Workshops on pruning, grafting, and organic orchard management have gained popularity, providing community members with hands-on learning experiences and empowering them to care for their own fruit trees.
Programs like MOFGA’s biennial Apple Camp bring together scientists, orchardists, and enthusiasts from across the country to share knowledge and promote innovation. These sessions help build a network of advocates for the preservation of heritage fruit.
The orchard has also broadened its educational outreach through partnerships and tours, offering insights into sustainable land reclamation and organic orchard practices. Events such as the annual Great Maine Apple Day attract hundreds of visitors to Unity, fostering a deeper appreciation for the diversity of tree fruit in Maine.
Research and Innovation
Beyond preservation, the orchard is at the forefront of genetic research aimed at documenting and understanding the lineage of Maine’s rare fruit varieties. Through collaborations with scientists, regional partners, and volunteers, the orchard has conducted extensive genetic mapping, revealing intricate ancestral relationships among apple varieties.
This research not only aids in conserving biodiversity but also provides valuable understanding for adapting fruit varieties to climate change. Genetic profiling allows orchardists to select and cultivate varieties best suited for sustainability and resilience.
The Remarkable Discovery of “Unknown Founder 13”
One of the most extraordinary apple discoveries in recent years is the identification of “Unknown Founder 13,” a previously unknown ancestral variety with genetic ties to apples cultivated by early French immigrants. Through a genetic profiling project in collaboration with Washington State University, researchers identified this variety as a “super ancestor” — a direct parent or grandparent to many apples across North America. Last year, to their astonishment, a living tree of Unknown Founder 13 was found on a farm on Verona Island, Maine, confirming its deep historical roots.
Genetic testing suggests this apple was likely grown in Maine before 1760, possibly by French immigrants in the nearby Castine region. This raises the possibility that the tree discovered on Verona Island is one of the oldest surviving apple trees in North America. The fruit itself is of exceptional quality, which likely contributed to its continued cultivation over centuries. Whether it is a direct relic from the 17th century or later grafted by an unknown farmer, its survival is a rare and remarkable link to the origins of apple growing in early America.
This discovery was made possible through years of genetic research and a collaborative effort between scientists and MOFGA staff and volunteers. Unknown Founder 13 is not just a historical curiosity — it reshapes our understanding of apple lineage and early agriculture in North America. Its rediscovery underscores the importance of preserving heirloom varieties, as even a single forgotten tree can unlock centuries of history.
Looking to the Future: Cultivating a Legacy
The success of the Maine Heritage Orchard is worth celebrating, but it still faces significant challenges. MHO’s mission is a race against time. As the older trees age, the need to preserve genetic material and historical knowledge becomes increasingly urgent. The focus of the orchard is not only on protecting varieties but also on safeguarding Maine’s rich agricultural history and ecological heritage. Securing financial sustainability is essential for these preservation efforts and continuing vital research, as well as maintaining operations and expanding educational programs.
A campaign is currently underway to raise a $2 million endowment for the orchard. Generous donors have already contributed over $250,000 towards this goal. The funds raised will help ensure that the orchard continues to thrive as a center for preservation and innovation by supporting staff salaries, maintenance costs, and educational programs. Ongoing support from donors, volunteers, and community members is crucial for the orchard’s long-term sustainability and expansion.
As the Maine Heritage Orchard celebrates 10 years of growth and success, its future looks promising. Plans are in place to plant additional historic varieties, including some that were thought to be lost forever but have recently been rediscovered through dedicated fruit exploration expeditions. Educational programs will continue to expand, ensuring that the next generation of orchardists is equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to care for and preserve Maine’s heirloom fruit varieties. The terraced orchard will continue to thrive, and future generations will benefit from the foresight and hard work of those who made this preservation possible.
Supporting the orchard goes beyond safeguarding fruit varieties; it’s about cultivating a future rooted in sustainability, education, and community innovation. As the orchard moves forward, it invites everyone to participate in this enduring journey of growth and preservation. We invite you to join us this year as we celebrate the orchard’s decade of resilience. Together, we can ensure that the rich legacy of Maine’s agricultural heritage flourishes for generations to come.
– Mary Weitzman, Director of Membership and Development
This article originally appeared in the spring 2025 issue of The Maine Organic Farmer & Gardener.
