Fall Brings First Harvest

Fall Brings Georgia's First Harvest
Carl Meyer Tree (l-r) Carolyn Hill, Carl Meyer, Martin Cipollini, Hill Craddock, Mike Hinson, Ken McDaniel, Jim Hill			After months of worry and waiting, the Georgia Chapter of TACF finally reaped the benefits of all the hard work of the spring pollination team. Within a week, all three pollination sites were harvested and the nuts safely stored until spring planting. It was a sunny, warm day for fall when the bags full burs were plucked from the Carl Meyer tree in Walker County. Approximately 70 burs of the BC3 (AB248) nuts were collected. These were produced from the cross of Carl's tree and a Meadowview Research Farm BC2 resistant tree will be planted in Georgia's first orchard in the spring.
It was a different story in Gilmer County for the harvest of burs from the Fowler tree. The first scheduled day was stormy and rainy and finally the harvest took place on the foggy mountain top. The largest living American chestnut tree in Georgia had a bad year as it continued to struggle against the blight. Hurricane Denise damaged it further and tore most of the protective bags from the developing burs. Chapter members were anxious to retrieve the genetic material from this tree since thoughts are it will not last to produce again.
At the Fowler Tree			At the Meyer Tree
Thanks to the generous donations of ETC (Ellijay Telephone Company- Fowler Tree) and Ezzell, Inc of Rome (Meyer Tree) for providing bucket trucks and operators for the harvesting work without cost to the chapter.
Hill Craddock and John start harvesting	Bags are gathered and sorted	Neighbors come to watch harvest		Carl anxiously awaits results of pollination efforts
Ga President Mark Stallings films the harvest	Jim Hill gathers the burs as Mark films	Mark Stallings & Brian proudly show off Fowler tree bur		It's in the Bag! Opened bur with 3 nuts on a tagged bag