The Lewellings: Nurserymen Abolitionists (Part 1) - The History of Fresh Produce

The Produce Industry Podcast w/ Patrick Kelly

How did a quiet Quaker family from North Carolina - devout, disciplined, and disinclined to dance - go on to revolutionize the fruit industry of the American West? Who were the Lewellings, and how did their deep-rooted values, obsession with grafting, and fierce opposition to slavery shape the orchards of Oregon, the nurseries of Iowa, and the future of American agriculture?

Join John and Patrick as they peel back the layers of one of the most extraordinary and overlooked sagas in American history. From humble beginnings in the red clay of the Carolinas to pioneering nurseries on the frontier, the Lewellings weren’t just planting trees - they were planting legacy. But what made Henderson Lewelling leave it all behind, again and again, to chase something even bigger?

In this opening episode of a sweeping multi-part series, we hear about the early years of a family whose grafting knives and moral convictions cut through the American frontier and helped grow an empire of apples, pears, peaches, and cherries.

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In Sponsorship with Cornell University: Dyson Cornell SC Johnson College of Business

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