The Meadow Orchard

 

Spring is in full swing in Backnang, and so we venture beyond city limits to explore the countryside. Awaiting us are rolling hills, their steeper slopes striped in regimented rows of vineyards. Tidy clumps of forest stretch out in all directions, their floors carpeted with green masses of wild garlic while the surrounding fields glow yellow with honey-scented rapeseed.  In the midst of all this splendor, I would like to draw your attention to what in German is known as Streuobstwiesen. Literally translated as “scattered meadow orchards,” this type of stone-fruit cultivation has been a typical feature of the landscape ever since the Romans brought it over the Alps some 2,000 years ago.  

At first glance, these helter-skelter groves appear to be an afterthought, abandoned relics from times before rows of monocultures became the norm. Though not as commercially viable as their dwarf counterparts, the tall and gnarly trees of the meadow orchard are invaluable both because of their contribution to the cultural landscape and in terms of the rich biodiversity they create. Originally conceived for the simultaneous production of fruit and hay, the modern Streuobstwiese is a buzzing, grassy refuge for all manner of plant, fungus and animal life. Indeed, some 5,000 species flourish within the habitat, and nature conservationists work hard to keep these ecosystems intact.

Part of that mission is to ensure that the fruit produced funnels back into the local market. Unfit for immediate sale, the harvest of misshapen apples, pears, plums and quince is pressed into juices, ciders and that beloved of all German refreshments, Schnapps. After a day spent wandering the Swabian country and dreaming in the shade of a gnarly old apple tree, you will find that a bracing sip of crystalline liquid fruit really hits the spot. Certainly, the Romans would approve.