Ep. 171 : Matt Soltys, The Urban Orchardist

Before I pressed record I was pressing Matt with questions about fungal infections which affect Apples throughout the orchard. We wove between trees, ducking low branches looking for the perfect spot to record in. My hands were full with my audio recorder, my newly broken headphones, and apples I had gleaned from below a couple of nice old trees with well pruned branches, low canopies and open form, perfect for climbing in and grabbing the few remainders left on the trees. It took me a second to realize that this accessible form isn’t inherent in the trees but instead the invisible work of knowing hands and keen tools. My old friend beside me beneath the apple trees had been pruning these trees back into production over the past couple years but still he looked at them, not as someone proud of their accomplished work, but instead like a sculptor who stares into the stone scrying to see the shape that begs to emerge… Ok, maybe that is a bit dramatic, but it’s fun to see your friends work in the world. I sat down with an old friend, Matt Soltys, otherwise known as The Urban Orchardist, for a conversation about his work as an orchardist, and his business helping folks start growing their own. We spoke about food sustainability, local food culture, how fruit trees help sequester carbon, build community and of course, give food. The book we spoke about near the end of the conversation was Apples of North America - Exceptional Varieties for Gardeners, Growers, and Cooks by Tom Burford.