8
BEHIND THE SCENES
SEPTEMBER 8�15, 2021
FROM THE
COVER
The history of heritage apples
Third Tuesday talk set for Sept.
21 at the Union County Museum
By Janet Dodson
For Go! Magazine
U
NION — You’ve heard of Johnny
Appleseed, now learn a new slant
on the old legend.
The Union County Museum will hold
its Third Tuesday event Sept. 21, begin-
ning at 7 p.m. The guest speaker is
David Benscoter, founder of The Lost
Apple Project, who will talk about the
historical importance of apples in the
region and how the project has located
several species once thought extinct.
The Lost Apple Project has partnered
with the Whitman County Historical So-
ciety in Washington and the Temperate
Orchard Conservancy in Oregon to in-
vestigate, identify and preserve heritage
apple trees and orchards in Oregon,
Washington and Idaho. The Project has
recovered 29 apple varieties that were
thought to have disappeared, including
a recent find at Flora in Wallowa County.
These heritage varieties are possibly
more resistant to pests and can be used
to enhance modern varieties.
“I recently uncovered an old 1896
nursery catalog from Union’s Eastern
Oregon Nursery, containing rare or pos-
sibly lost varieties,” Benscoter said.
He noted that an important purpose
of the lecture is to educate people
about heritage apples and inspire them
to nurse their apple trees through the
drought to preserve their future.
“You may have a lost or rare variety
in your own backyard,” said Benscoter,
who lives north of Spokane and travels
throughout the Pacific Northwest in
search of heritage apples.
His Sept. 21 talk will also highlight the
importance of apples to homesteaders
as a source of food and apple cider vin-
egar.
The event will be held in the Little
White Church, next to City Hall, in Union.
The Third Tuesday series, before the
Want to see a heritage apple? Plan
a visit to Avella Orchard on North Fir
Street in La Grande, the first stop on
the updated Grande Ronde Farm Trail,
where orchardist Danae Yergel is pre-
serving several heritage apple varieties.
Contact Yergel at avella.danae@yahoo.
com or 541-663-6756 to schedule a
guided tour.
ABOUT THE MUSEUM
The Union County Museum pre-
serves 150 years of artifacts and sto-
ries that illustrate life in Union County.
Exhibits include “Cowboys: Then
and Now,” a livery station, and a sec-
tion about agriculture, transportation
and timber.
UNION COUNTY
MUSEUM
Avella Orchard/Contributed photo
Learn about heritage apples at a talk Sept. 21
at the Union County Museum in Union.
pandemic, was held three times each
summer, featuring a wide range of top-
ics by local presenters and musicians.
Enjoy Classes at Crossroads this September
Ongoing Classes at Crossroads
Monday
Getting Grounded – Feeling Better
4:30-5:30pm
Wednesday
Learn to Love Watercolor and Pastels
3:00–5:00pm and 5:00–7:00pm
Friday
Young Artists’ Studio
1:45–3:45pm
Saturday
Adult Open Studio
1:00–3:00pm
September Class
2020 Auburn Avenue
Baker City, Oregon
541.523.5369
www.crossroads-arts.org
September 16
Intro to Celtic Knotwork
6:00–8:00pm
333 S. Main St., Union
Open through September
11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Wednesday-Saturday
$5 adults, $4 seniors, $3 students
www.crossroads-arts.org
Fall Children’s Ballet Begins in September
Tuesday
Ballet I – Ages 6-8
September 21–November 9
4:00–5:00pm
No prior experience necessary
Wednesday
Ballet II – Ages 6-8
September 22–November 10
4:00–5:00pm
Prior training necessary
Thursday
Ballet III – Ages 9+
September 23–November 11
4:00–5:00pm
No prior experience necessary
Crossroads is open Monday through Saturday from 10:00am to 5:00pm
Crossroads in accordance with the Oregon Health Authority requires masks for everyone age 5 and above.