Fun new map

I'll be putting this up on www.NewEnglandGrown.com soon, along with a piece about heirloom fruits and vegetables. But in the meantime, feel free to peruse. Each heirloom variety of fruit or vegetable is indicated on the map at the town where it was discovered or developed. If everything uploaded properly, you should also be able to read a short description and get a link to a seed catalog or other source of information. If you're in New England and planning a garden this summer, please consider planting one of these local lovelies. (Note: The map looks a little funny in the Blogger formatting. Clicking on it will enlarge, clicking on a marker will open up a small screen with the description/link etc.)

The coolest thing ever.

Someone at the Danvers Historical Society must love me. I don't actually know anyone who works for the Danvers Historical Society; I don't even know anyone who lives in Danvers. But how else to explain this?

In case you don't feel like clicking the link (though really, you should), the Danvers (MA) Historical Society sells Christmas ornaments in the shape of heirloom vegetable varieties that originated in Danvers, including of course the famous Danvers Half Long Carrot. How cool is that? And who decided heirloom gardening and local food geeks made up a big enough demographic to be worth marketing tchotckes to? Whoever it was, bless you.