Fairchild’s Love of Mangos
Fairchild‘s Love of Mangos
Fairchild‘s mango team writes about their two week
adventure across the mango-laden plains of India
Coral Gables, FL, May 12, 2008—Fairchild‘s Tropical Fruit Program is venturing back to the ancestral home of the mango – India. Fairchild‘s Tropical Fruit Curators Dr. Richard J. Campbell and Noris Ledesma are currently crossing the monsoonal plains in search of the secrets of the king of tropical fruit while recording their experiences along the way in a heartfelt blog that is available on Fairchild‘s website at www.fairchildgarden.org.
From May 3-17, ‘Alphonso‘, ‘Kesar‘, and ‘Dusehri‘ mangos will become daily fare for this duo, treasured for their sweet, complexity of fruitiness and Indian spice. Nowhere on earth is the mango more cherished, or more integral to the people and their homeland than in India. From the subtle secrets of traditional mango management techniques to timeless images of the mango and its people engaged in the harvest, the team will soak it in. They do it for the love of mangos, the thirst for knowledge and the legacy of David Fairchild.
The Tropical Fruit Program at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden continues the pioneering work of Dr. David Fairchild, founder of the Foreign Seed and Plant Introduction Division of the United States Department of Agriculture. Dr. Campbell and Ms. Ledesma are committed to Dr. Fairchild‘s far-reaching goals in collection, conservation, curation and distribution of superior tropical fruit from the Americas and Asia.
Dr.Fairchild was one of the first people to bring the mango and avocado to Florida in the late19th century, and our curators are working to bring new species of fruit and new cultivars to meet the growing demands for tropical flavors. With Fairchild‘s roots firmly anchored in traditional horticulture, Dr. Campbell and Ms. Ledesma apply the newest techniques to advance the cultivation, conservation and appreciation of tropical fruit as a resource for the future.
About the Tropical Fruit Program at Fairchild
Fairchild has one of the largest tropical fruit collections in the world, collected from Asia, Africa and tropical America. One of the major goals of the collection, aside from scientific research, is the education of the public on how much their lives are tied to tropical horticulture and to provide a glimpse into the lives of people around the globe, who depend on these fruits for their livelihood as well as nourishment. Our collections are primarily housed in the Whitman Tropical Fruit Pavilion at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden and our agricultural station at Williams Grove, located in the Redlands.
About Fairchild
Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden is dedicated to exploring, explaining and conserving the world of tropical plants. It is one of the premier conservation and education-based gardens in the world and a recognized international leader in both Florida and international conservation. Currently Fairchild has field programs in over 20 countries including support to protected areas in Madagascar and botanic garden development and renovation projects in South and Central America, the Caribbean and Middle East. Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden houses the National Palm Collection as recognized by the American Public Gardens Association (APGA), has the world‘s greatest living collection of palms and cycads; an education program reaching more than 30,000 school children per year; hosts popular events like the International Mango and Orchid Festivals, the Ramble, concerts, affiliated plant society shows and sales and more; and, is a not-for-profit organization relying on the support of its 40,000 members and benefactors. We host major art events such as Botero, Lichtenstein and Chihuly at Fairchild this year and Chihuly at Fairchild in 2005 and 2006. Fairchild is located at 10901 Old Cutler Road, Coral Gables (Miami), Florida 33156. Admission is $20 for adults, $15 for seniors, $10 for Children 6-17 and free to children 5 and under and Fairchild members. For more information, please visit www.fairchildgarden.org.
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