What You Need to Know About the ‘Ponca’ Blackberry

Andy Mariani is the only fruit grower left in his part of the famed California Valley, where folks gladly pony up for a taste of his sublime stone fruit.

Taste, that is what drives Andy Mariani. He seeks out the most flavorful fruits he can find, then he tries to figure out how to get the necessary trees and how to grow them.

Aside from the challenges of making good crosses, settling on a name can come with its own issues — and unintended consequences.

Cherry growers in Northwestern Montana will have some incentive to transition from Lambert cherries to more varieties in […]