Remember Dan the Apple Man?

So I got a call yesterday from Dan Janzen.  Some of you may remember him.  He is a former NCRS research assistant who was very instrumental in the planning and implementation of the NCRS apple orchard.  He started in March of 2011 (see the blog on 3/5/11) and here he was yesterday in the orchard, having stopped by for a visit. There were some stray apples here and there and they still tasted great.

And here he was on March 5, 2011 riding on the planter inserting apple trees into the ground.  It was a challenge in the high-density configuration where trees are 36 inches apart.  He used a special tape marked for placing the trees.  It was a handful, but worked out great.

And here is how it looked in the spring of 2011 after planting was complete.  It's come a long ways since he planted it, and it is one of the leading apple research orchards in the country.

But Dan had other callings in his life, as he left a few years later for Missionary work.  He and his wife have been to South America and South Sudan, and are just a few weeks from moving permanently to South Sudan.  He was in the Lansing area picking up some last supplies for the trip. So it was nice to see him again and glad he called.  The others at the NCRS who were here when he was also enjoyed seeing him, and we all wished him luck.  

As you can imagine, his work is dependent on support from those back home.  If you are interested in learning more or giving support, send me an e-mail and I'll make the connection.