Traditionally, the Balearic Islands have been islands that have stood out for their richness in varieties of fruit trees *. However, in recent decades industrial production systems have favored the entry of new foreign varieties, based on productivity and quality detriment, which have separated traditional varieties from the market, of greater organoleptic value and better adapted to the environment.

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Aware of this situation and given the impossibility of being able to buy traditional varieties of island fruit trees in commercial nurseries, from Slow Food Illes Balears we started the Fruiters d'un Temps project in January 2008.

Fruiters d'un Tempse is a campaign for the recovery and distribution of traditional fruit trees in the Balearic Islands (at high risk of genetic erosion and displaced from the market) , which in 2010 reached its third edition . 

With the support of one of the highest authorities in local vegetable varieties and with the collaboration of one of the last nurseries producing local fruit trees, we offer the possibility to purchase trees from a catalog of 159 varieties of fruit trees upon request . The interested person must wait a year, time necessary for their grafting and development . Orders are made through our website or by sending the form by postal mail. cdl test online

To the 15 species and 117 varieties that we offered in the previous edition, in 2010 we added 42 new varieties: 2 apple trees, 1 pear tree and 10 fig trees, in addition to 4 new species of fruit trees: 1 oak, 7 citrus fruits, 11 almond trees and 10 vines . So there are 159 varieties that, among all, we are recovering.

The choice of species from the catalog does not meet a single criterion.

The varieties offered are interesting for their cultivation characteristics, ripening date, adaptation to the environment, organoleptic quality and gastronomic excellence. 

The new species, which appear in the third edition of the catalog, have in common that their presence is common in our fields. In general, there is no lack of holm oaks, citrus, almond and vineyards, but almost all new plantations are of foreign varieties. The oak suffers the consequences of total ignorance, since sweet breeds are very suitable for human consumption.

A large part of these recovered varieties were in a situation of no return. In addition, based on this collection, the Ministry of Agriculture of the Balearic Government, through the IRFAP ( Institut de Recerca Agrària i Pesquera ), has created an experimental bank of fruit trees in the agricultural farm Sa Canova , in Sa Pobla (social work Sa Nostra). cdl practice test

-Link to FRUITERS D'UN TEMPS III online form

A huge biopersity at stake

* The Balearic Islands meet optimal conditions for the cultivation of fruit trees. Here is just a sample of the local fruit biopersity , in which we find:

• 251 varieties of fig trees

• 160 varieties of almond trees

• 70 varieties of apple trees

• 50 varieties of plums

• 40 varieties of pear trees

• 22 varieties of apricot trees

• 18 varieties of cherry trees

• 12 varieties of carob trees

• 8 varieties of olive trees

• 7 variedades de naranjos

Además de la pérdida de variedades, la agricultura de las islas sufrió el impacto del boom turístico de los años 60, que conllevó el abandono de los cultivos y del campo como medio de vida. A estas penosas circunstancias todavía hay que añadir la bajada de los precios que han sufrido los productos agrícolas en las últimas décadas. El almendro ejemplifica muy bien todo este proceso: cada vez son más los campesinos que ya no recogen la almendra y más los almendros que están desapareciendo; el precio de la almendra hace 30 años era de 5 € el kilo, mientras que hoy es de 1,5 €. Esta situación insostenible del mercado deriva  inevitablemente hacia una pérdida de biopersidad agroalimentaria imparable, con su consecuente repercusión en el paisaje, el mundo rural replica borse y la cultura gastronómica.

Therefore, we must all work together so that this valuable agro-food heritage returns to our landscapes, our markets and our table.

+ info:

-Experimental bank of fig trees Son Mut Nou 

- Press: Article El Pais, FRUITERS D'UN TEMPS - PDF

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