Johnny Appleseed planting apple trees for kids to eat
2026-01-24 14:59 UTC
Replies (31)
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@bleistift2@sopuli.xyz 2026-01-24 15:07
You can’t take the seed of a tasty apple, plant it and expect the tree to have similarly tasting apples. If you want to duplicate a tree, you need to take a twig and graft it on top of an existing tree. Source: MinuteEarth on Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIajCqcvTg8) [Edit: Previously, before I remembered that this video exists, I couldn’t remember the correct word for “grafting”. Hence Sidyctism II.’s response.
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@TheReturnOfPEB@reddthat.com 2026-01-24 18:14
johnny appleseed would also show up right after native americans were run off from their native orchards and declare those sapling riparian orchards his. not a coincidence as his business was selling sour apple saplings to new immigrants. johnny appleseed was a typical christian businessman using the chaos of genocide as a place to put his wallet and the marketing of a pot on his head to get notice. and the US destroyed the last of the orchards that he claimed as his creation during Prohibition. because usa.
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@MrFinnbean@lemmy.world 2026-01-24 17:13
In Finland there is this law called jokamiehenoikeudet. Roughly translates into "everymans rights" Everymans rights allow everyone to enjoy nature in regardless of who owns the land as long as it is done responsibly and without causing harm or disturbance. These rights apply to all people, including visitors. You are allowed to: Walk, ski, and cycle freely in forests, fields, and other natural areas (as long as you do not damage crops or do it on somebodys yard). Camp temporarily on uncultivated land. Pick wild berries, mushrooms, and flowers (aslong as they are not protected.) Swim, row, and use waterways freely. But you cant: Cause damage to nature, animals, or property. Disturb residents or invade privacy. Light open fires without the landowner’s permission. Drive motor vehicles off-road without permission. Harm protected species or take branches, bark, or timber from living trees. So atleast in Finland if the fruit tree is not on anybodys yard or planted for a business use, you can eat the fruit and its not a crime.
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@Bonsoir@lemmy.ca 2026-01-24 16:26
The reason we don't do it today is because fruits would fall on the ground and people would complain it gets dirty. As stupid as that.
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@Grass@sh.itjust.works 2026-01-25 00:09
In my mom's hometown there are fruit trees literally everywhere. Everyone and their dog has them. The public areas have them. The forests have them. There are fruit all over the ground. Nobody 'steals' or gathers to sell. They make alcohol and share it with anyone that comes within line of sight like pokemon trainers forcing you to battle. Also all of the kids are sick of eating the fruit but if they feel like eating any they don't even have to pick it themselves because all the parents and grandparents will pick wash and even cut up the fruit and serve it on a platter with even the slightest hint of interest. I ate a lot of plums and pears and drank a fuckload of brandy.
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@FatVegan@leminal.space 2026-01-24 18:34
I have a bunch of cherry tomatoes plants on the outside fence of my garden. And 6 kiwi plants. They produce so much fruit and i deliberately placed them on the roadside on a road where not a lot of people even walk by. You know, so people can take some fruits if they want. One day my neighbour came over and he was really concerned that people would steal my fruit. I explained to him that it's not really stealing when i even provide little containers to take some on the road or home. The conversation was way longer than i was comfortable with, and i don't think he ever understood the concept.
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@joyjoy@lemmy.zip 2026-01-24 17:50
I'd be worried about someone taking all the fruit from all the trees then selling it.
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@Manjushri@piefed.social 2026-01-24 15:18
Your Johnny Appleseed comment reminded me of my favorite movie musical, Paint Your Wagon (1969) with Clint Eastwood and Lee Marvin. And, yes, they both sing! >Elizabeth: Did you know that the Fenty's had an apple farm back in Pennsylvania? >Ben Rumson: Apple jack, huh? >Mr. Fenty: No, sir, we did not make apple jack. >Ben Rumson: Then, what did you grow the apples for? >Mr. Fenty: Mr. Rumson, do you think that everything that comes out of the earth should be used to make liquor? >Ben Rumson: Whenever possible, yes.
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@Corkyskog@sh.itjust.works 2026-01-24 22:52
Apple seeds have like a one in 10k chance of producing a sweet apple that is nearly as good as what else is on the market, and like one in 100k for it to be better. Every other one comes out to a nearly inedible crab apple. Always seemed like a cool hobby to me if I somehow became rich. It's like a gamble that is just as much your time, as it is your money.
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@Zink@programming.dev 2026-01-25 22:58
This is actually a great representation of the difference in culture I've seen between the US and visiting a couple places in Europe and particularly Sweden. I don't know if actual public fruit tree orchards are a thing anywhere, but the general feel of "holy crap they can have nice things in shared spaces here" was everywhere.
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@GhostPain@lemmy.world 2026-01-24 15:37
Correct, it was a land grab scam based on the laws of the time. IIRC, if he planted trees it was then his land because he was using it, so he could then sell it for actual money. This was after the military had killed or chased out the natives who lived on it, of course.
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@Strider@lemmy.world 2026-01-25 08:25
Yup, this whole ownership thing is totally fubar! (and yes, I do prefer to own things too, but there could be a healthy middle ground)
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@Njos2SQEZtPVRhH@piefed.social 2026-01-24 22:39
My garden, or what's left of it, is full of insects stealing it. Ants can steal more than 10x their body weight in one go.
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@boonhet@sopuli.xyz 2026-01-25 10:08
I wonder if that person would consider foraging for mushrooms and berries in the forest to be stealing as well.
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@Beacon@fedia.io 2026-01-24 15:51
iirc Johnny Appleseed spread seeds so people could make alcoholic cider
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@rumba@lemmy.zip 2026-01-25 18:37
If you made public fruit trees, someone would try to pick them clean and sell it at a fruit stand 20 miles away.
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@IAmNorRealTakeYourMeds@lemmy.world 2026-01-24 18:34
Only practical issue, is that unpicked fruit falls and makes a mess. but I don't think it is a big issue, as we already tend to deal with leaf foliage falling in the fall, and no one complains about that. there is also the concept of botanical sexism which has been fucking everyone with allergies for decades. So I will 100% be in favour of using fruiting trees in urban areas. Look at Valencia, they put orange trees in the streets. and it is a beloved Valencian institution.
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@Bgugi@lemmy.world 2026-01-25 22:46
162 comments and not one about lemon stealing whores. Not sure if I'm disappointed or just old.
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@postmateDumbass@lemmy.world 2026-01-25 16:55
Well, how do you like them apples?
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@FartsWithAnAccent@fedia.io 2026-01-24 16:15
Fun historical fact: Those apples were not for eating, they were for making hard cider.
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@Agent641@lemmy.world 2026-01-26 00:37
Get the falling fruit app and you'll be able to find fruit trees in your area that are available for picking. In my city, olives are PROLIFIC and I'm still eating last year's loved that I picked and brined 
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@MissJinx@lemmy.world 2026-01-26 00:17
We do have fruit trees in my country and it's even normal for people that live around parks to plant them. Funny enough I've never seen a homeless person taking a fruit, always families.
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@ColeSloth@discuss.tchncs.de 2026-01-24 20:33
The seeds Johnny Appleseed used were sour and tasted like shit. They were used for making hard cider. No kids would eat them.
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@notsosure@sh.itjust.works 2026-01-24 16:20
Because everything is owned by somebody?! Where’s the world coming too if kids are trained to be agro vigilantes?
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@devedeset@lemmy.zip 2026-01-26 07:36
My US city has a few parks with apple trees, herb gardens, and other edibles. I don't think there's any law or rule against people going out and harvesting small individual use amounts as long as you don't damage the plant. They do send out volunteer crews at harvest time (for the apples at least) and donate the harvest to food banks. I don't buy rosemary because there's a bunch of parks around with rosemary bushes.
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@Retro_unlimited@lemmy.world 2026-01-25 14:49
When I lived in the city, we caught people trespassing all the time stealing our fruit off our trees. They would walk up our private driveway, and walk on our path near our front door, then load BAGS full and leave. I called them out as thief a few times, but those Mother F@$@ people just give a smug look back. These people were Pure evil. So happy to move to the country.
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@cosmicrookie@lemmy.world 2026-01-25 19:51
Athens in Greece has this https://imgur.com/gallery/fIpoQCB People don't really eat or sell them
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@JcbAzPx@lemmy.world 2026-01-25 17:18
Well, yeah; trees planted from random apple seeds are most likely to bear crabapples. Nobody was going to be eating them.
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@slothrop@lemmy.ca 2026-01-24 15:35
[Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros - Johnny Appleseed](https://youtu.be/tBPqn7MQ65g)
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@Saapas@piefed.zip 2026-01-24 17:21
NTA. Your park, your rules
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@GhostPain@lemmy.world 2026-01-24 18:50
I'm both easily entertained and easily amused. And you guys are apparently so thin-skinned you can't help being reactive little bunnies.