Senior Project I: The Pear Throughout Culture, Cuisine, and Art

September 29, 2013: Sterling College's pear tree, unidentified variety

           In the spirit of Michael Pollan’s book, The Botany of Desire, I have been inspired to zoom in on one particular fruit and explore its relationship to the human race throughout time, while also tailoring a series of hands-on projects that would cover my need to be physically, sensuously, and philosophically engaged in a learning environment. There was no question as to which fruit to select that would stand up to seven months of analysis, appraisal, and experimentation; Pyrus communis, or the European pear.

My interest is not based solely on the aesthetic or culinary uses of the pear, but also of their unique biology and the professional opportunities associated with them as I dream of starting my own farm someday. I will divide the next two semesters into different areas of study, with SP I beginning with the culinary, artistic, and historical dimensions of the pear, and then immersing myself in learning more technical management skills during SP II.

My goals are as follows:

1.      Under the guidance of experienced faculty, farmers, and orchardists, acquire and practice technical skills involved in establishing and maintaining vigorous, productive European pear trees: selecting New England appropriate varieties, grafting, pruning, and applying integrated pest management methods.

2.      To produce a variety of handmade value added pear products that include 2 savory dishes, 3 desserts, one batch of pear mead, and one set of pearwood chopsticks. 

3.      To enrich my hands-on activities by reading printed and online articles and books on the pear throughout history, art, cooking, and culture, providing summaries and reflections on each in my blog.  

4.      To create, view, appraise, and critique mixed media featuring pears.

5.      To simultaneously contribute to the management of the fruit trees in the Edible Forest Garden while also honing my pruning skills.

The Sterling College campus and surrounding New England community provides ample opportunity for me to seek out experienced farmers, artists, chefs, brewers, writers, and woodcraftsmen to both learn under and troubleshoot with in my exploration of the pear. My plan is to meet with my advisors at least once a month to update them and discuss my progress, any difficulties I may be having, and if I need help finding more supporting resources for my learning goals.

                 Final Products of Study

-          Blog

-          Final picture portfolio of all SP I and SP II activities/projects, with written reflections on the learning process

-          Final self evaluation discussing the context of SP in my education at Sterling and success in meeting learning goals; what could have been done differently.

-          Presentation in the Senior Symposium during Spring Semester 2014

-          Completed still-life oil painting featuring pears

-          Two savory recipes

-          Three dessert recipes

-          One batch of pear mead, bottled

-          One set of handmade pearwood chopsticks

-          One poem inspired by pears

-          One skein of handspun wool dyed with pear bark and leaves

-          Two grafted fruit tree seedlings

-          Two interviews with New England farmers who grow pears

 How this project fits into my overall degree plan

What originally drew me to pursue a degree in sustainable agriculture at Sterling College was the multi-disciplinary approach that the curriculum offered. To me, a successful farmer has to be more than just a person who knows where and when to stick a seed in the ground; they should also be gastronomists, marketers, doctors, community organizers, scientists. I’m sure many get by just fine without pursuing those different facets; it’s just that I don’t imagine myself enjoying farming without a well-rounded, thoughtful approach to what I’m growing. Fluffy humanity courses with too much theory and not enough action are not my cup of tea, and then strictly technical courses lack depth and become meaningless for me if there isn’t a greater context to frame the skills with. I need both present for a worthwhile experience to occur.

There are some unfilled gaps in my agricultural education at Sterling where I have not had much class time devoted to learning about fruit production. Nevertheless, this is the opportunity for me to fill the gap on my own by taking principles, ideas, and practices from previous classes such as Plant Science, Ag Tech, Organic Crop Production, and Sudden Exposure- and merge them holistically into a series of projects and reflections that will keep me stimulated over the next seven months. Studying a fruit tree allows me to get outdoors, engaging my body, as well as retreat inside to exercise my higher mind. I’ll work independently and then alongside individuals who can help me go further than I could on my own.

 It will be mostly cold winter weather during the duration of the project, and luckily, most of the activities I will be pursuing are not limited by this factor and are in fact appropriate to the season.