Today I'll be making apple pie to share tomorrow at work. I'm using apples from our very own tree.

In my circle of friends, it's rare to be someplace long enough to
plant a tree and see it bear an abundance of fruit. I think that this
is probably more common in today's world, because of transience in our
jobs as well as an increased tendency to rent, rather than to buy our
dwellings.

While my husband credits me with having turned him on to
sustainability and gardening, he planted this tree the year his son was
born, 14 years ago. He planted it on Arbor Day, and says it was really
only a whim, but now that we are in our 30s, it makes dozens of sweet,
green apples. This, to me, is a miracle.

Community gardens are wonderful, but the next generation of
permaculture must include neighborhood orchards. We have room for one
apple tree, one grapevine, some hops, two blueberries, and a plum that
unfortunately does not bear because it needs a pollinator (mate). But,
our sunshine space is almost full. What if our neighbor planted a
pollinator, and we could both enjoy plums? Could they plant a fig tree,
and trade figs with us? One can quickly imagine how abundant a
neighborhood could be if landlords planted fruit trees, and entrusted
their tenants to their care and harvest. Indeed, this is not our
culture now!

So often, we decide against planting perennials, because we know our
futures are uncertain and we will not reap the benefits of our
investment. Sadly, as this trend continues we see less and less of
anything but lawn on rented property, the landscaping not serving as
much more than a value booster. I wish fruit tree plantings were
subsidized. Can they be?

Thank you, Charles, for planting that tree for Aaron then, and now,
for us, because he is still here and since I moved in I get to enjoy it
as well.

The tree requires very little care. It did suffer from woolly aphids
this year, but they don't often damage the tree. It may not produce as
much in times of drought, but again, as a permanent part of your garden
it will pick up again next year where it left off, saving you a great
deal of energy compared to what it would take to produce the same
volume of produce with a plot full of annuals.

The food:

I trust the Joy of Cooking on pies, so I followed their recipe for
Apple Pie I (in which the apples are not precooked) with Flaky Pastry
Crust I. I used trans fat free shortening for my vegan comrades, but
using local butter is also possible. I used Lindley Mills flour, ground
locally of shipped wheat. North Carolina has never grown hard
(bread-worthy) wheat because of the climate, but thanks to a new
project in Asheville, we may have our own wheat in the next few years!