The History of Apples: Modern Fragility (Part 5) - The History of Fresh Produce

From myth and legend to cider-fuelled revolutions, from Johnny Appleseed’s frontier orchards to the Victorians’ quest for the perfect pippin, the story of the apple has been anything but ordinary. In the final part of this five-part series, John and Patrick follow the fruit onto the world stage - when refrigeration, global shipping, and empire transformed it into an international commodity. From Tasmania’s “Apple Isle” and Cecil Rhodes’s Cape orchards, to Japan’s remarkable embrace of the fruit that would one day give us the Fuji, the apple became both a tool of empire and a symbol of modernization.But world war would shake that story, stripping Britain of its imported fruit and forcing farmers to dig for victory. The apple rallied in service of king and country - only to face a peacetime collapse that saw Britain’s orchards vanish in the shadow of supermarket shelves and European imports. Yet the apple endures, still shaping landscapes, economies, and everyday diets around the globe.Join John and Patrick as they conclude the saga of the world’s most storied fruit - a tale of empire, war, decline, and resilience - that leaves us with the apple we know today.----------In Sponsorship with Cornell University: Dyson Cornell SC Johnson College of Business-----------Join the History of Fresh Produce Club for ad-free listening, bonus episodes, book discounts and access to an exclusive chatroom community.Support us!Share this episode with your friendsGive a 5-star ratingWrite a review -----------Subscribe to our biweekly newsletter here for extra stories related to recent episodes, book recommendations, a sneak peek of upcoming episodes and more.-----------Step into history - literally! Now is your chance to own a pair of The History of Fresh Produce sneakers. Fill out the form here and get ready to walk through the past in style.-----------Instagram, TikTok, Threads:@historyoffreshproduceEmail: [email protected]