The Milwaukee Apple Project: Preserving Heirloom Fruit Diversity

Historical Initiative of Slow Food Wisconsin Southeast • Preserved for Biodiversity Research

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Southeastern Wisconsin was home to dozens of unique, cold-hardy apple cultivars bred specifically for cider making, baking, and winter cellar storage. As commercial agriculture standardized on a handful of cosmetic supermarket varieties, these complex heritage apples were nearly lost to history.

Slow Food Wisconsin Southeast launched the Milwaukee Apple Project to map, document, graft, and preserve these heirloom trees found in historic farmsteads, urban backyards, and public parks throughout Milwaukee and Ozaukee counties.