Happy EarthDay cider fans!!! Earth day is always the beginning of the growing season for Apple growers. In our orchard the diversity of varieties show their differences in how quickly they awaken from winter slumber. Some of the latest varieties to open like Brown Snout and Stoke Red are just barely opening their bud scales, the flowers still hidden and well protected from frost. Other varieties like Honeycrisp and Roxbury Russet have opened their buds to the potentially threatening environmental conditions and we can begin to see the cluster of flowers within the first whirl of young leaves. Some varieties are very adventurous and excited to get going…., no holding back varieties like Zestar, Wickson Crab and Golden Russet, who are anxious to open their flowers, they are at a growth stage called “pink”, where you can begin to see the color of the pink petals within the advancing buds. They are more susceptible to freezing temperatures like this morning at 25 degrees. The diversity is important because you can not predict what specific environmental challenges will present themselves during any given season. The latest blooming varieties will open their flowers during warmer weather which when paired with rain creates environmental conditions that favor fireblight infections. The earliest varieties to open flowers are more susceptible to frost and freeze damage to the fragile organs of the flower. Damaged flowers might not form fruit or may form damaged fruit. Every year every orchard has challenges but it is rare in any one year to face multiple challenges. This is the wisdom in diversity within a human created system. The closer we as human-farmers, or any of the many other beautiful animal’s systems on this planet can align our actions to the Earth’s Wisdom the more successful we will be. Here’s to the Earth!!!!, and all his/her/their teachings!! Happy Earth Day!!

And most importantly, we’d like to share…

THIS IS HOME: Here is an opportunity for a week of important anti-racist work written and edited by youth for Earth Day… please check it out💚and support @antiracismdaily Climate Justice and Racial Justice cannot/are not separate.

“This is our home,” Anti-Racism Daily’s week-long, youth-led series on environmental justice. The series will officially start TODAY!!! Thursday, April 22. Here’s some details on what to expect below….

How it works: A handy FAQ

How many emails will I receive?

You’ll receive eight emails over eight days, starting on Earth Day (Thursday, April 22).

Can I forward the emails I receive to a friend?​
Absolutely.
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​Can I use these in my workplace or classroom?​
Yes! They encourage engaging in this series as a group!
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​How is this funded?​
This was made possible by the contributions of Anti Racism Daily’s subscribers – aka people like you! You’re welcome to make a donation here. They also welcome corporate sponsors to help support their costs: contact them.
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​Who made this?​
This was created by the team behind the Anti-Racism Daily, which creates educational content around dismantling white supremacy. The team of curators for this collection can be found here.