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the monks’ applesand plumsswitzerlandthe taFeljura’s orchards are helpingto reawaken local economies and protecting a uniQue and precious environmentalessandRo FeRRiTravelling east from northern Switzer- land, along the Jura mountains, you will come across a unique landscape when you reach the canton of Thurgau. From the Tafeljura, with its narrow valleys and wide, flat expanses, down to Lake Con- stance, the countryside has been turned over to fruit growing, with impressive rows of trees in a beautiful green set- ting. Cherry and cider apple trees have long been grown here, while tall plum trees are cultivated in the damper areas along streams and on the valley floor.guardianSof the landScapeAs you come closer to eastern Swit- zerland, apples become the most common crop. Apple trees have been cultivated in this part of the country for 2,000 years, since they were in- troduced by the Romans. Throughout the Middle Ages, the different varietieswere grown in the monasteries, where they were planted exclusively in the courtyards. Only later were they plant- ed out in orchards. Thanks to the work of the monks, over time various variet- ies developed that are now considered native, generally characterized by tall trunks and a very long life span.This longevity, however, is now at risk, threatened by the introduction of new, shorter varieties that require less care and have higher yields than the native varieties. As a result, heritage apples are struggling to find a market, and the orchards are aging.And so two Slow Food Presidia have been set up to preserve and promote this type of landscape, with the aim of encouraging the cultivation of tall trees and making them again economically advantageous by increasing the sale of the fresh fruit and introducing quality processed products.69© arChIVIo Slow Food