> Although I appreciate the work folks like Tom Brown do, the notion that he has actually rescued 1000 varieties is a bit of a stretch. An apple variety is only really rescued when it has found a home in commerce and some significant consumer base wants it.

This was a great article about someone putting in a lot of work to collect and sustain old apple varieties. I didn’t expect to come into the comments and find people gatekeeping the concept of rescuing old apple varieties, especially not on the basis of a lack of consumer demand. He has made these available to others who want them, per the article.

Come on, this guy rescued varieties from extinction. He’s not on a mission to restore their popularity among the general public. Heirloom varieties are fun and rare and unique. Let’s enjoy and appreciate this for what it is.