Apple expert John Bunker will offer a talk titled, “Do modern apples have to be so bad?”

Why is every modern apple juicy and crisp? Why do they all have names that sound like breakfast cereals? Why does most cider taste like soda pop? Why can’t you find a decent pie apple in the grocery store? Are all the sauce apples and baking apples gone forever? These and other questions will be answered by Maine apple historian, John Bunker. We hope you’ll join us for a raucous apple time machine ride through the history of apples in Maine as well a glorious alternate vision of the future.

John Bunker has been farming in Maine for the past 40 years. Describing himself as a “fruit explorer,” Bunker tracks down rare and unusual fruit varieties to save and reintroduce in Maine. In 1984 he started FEDCO Trees and has served as president of the board at Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, where he continues to serve as a board member and is the founder of MOFGA’s Maine Heritage Orchard located next to the Common Ground Fairground in Unity. He is the author of “Not Far From the Tree,” a book outlining the history of apples in Palermo, which will be available for sale and signing at the program.

This free presentation is co-sponsored by the Belfast Free Library and the Belfast Co-op. For additional information about this event, call the library at 338-3884, ext. 10.