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Figs from Calabria Region of Italy

Hello all,

I'm in Northeastern PA and have been growing Brown Turkeys in 20 gallon containers for about 8 years. Overwintering in attached garage...container soil is 2 parts pine bark, 1 part perlite, 1 park composted cow manure...using slow release fertilzer, plus some miracle grow during the growing season. My original little tree came from an old Italian man in Wilkes-Barre, from a potted cutting off his enormous tree. Second was from a cutting from my wife's grandfather's tree in Toms River NJ. I recently ordered a Celeste and Italian Honey from "Petals from the Past" and awaiting arrival.

For sentimental reasons, I'm looking for anyone who may have access to cuttings/plants from Calabria region of Italy. My grandparents were from neighboring towns of Decollatura and Soveria Mannelli. I know it's a little late in the cutting season...but just thought I'd take a shot.

Thanks,
Joe
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Joe,

I have one called Calabrese Cucumber, buit it has not fruited, yet, so son't have a lot of info. I think I still have a small plant available at http://encantofarms.com  E-mail me and I can check.
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I know the right person who might be able to help you, especially that you are so close to our area, I'm in Bethlehem pa, he's Lehighton.
Lou I believe your family is from Calabria, I'm I right?
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Joe,
My mothers paents came from Calabria. I have ben there a few times visiting relatives. I had a tree from the town of San Donato Di Ninea in the Cosenza providence of Calabria. About 5 or 6 years ago it froze out on me along with eight other varieies I was storing in my garden shed.
 It was a dark fig and to my taste very delicious. I do know where there is the exct tree growing near Pittsburgh at leastit was 4 years ago. I know the person that owns the property the fig tree is on. I'm goiong to give him a call and ask if he will send me a couple of cuttings.

I know this tree is the same tree because his dad came from that town and brought it over with him to the Us years ago. The tree I had came from the same tree he brought cuttings back many years ago.

Give me your email address and I will let you know if I can get my friend from Pittsburgh to send me a couple of cuttings.
If he has them and does sdend them thmn I will forward them on to you.
Where in PA do you live?
Lou   NE.,  PA
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Hello Lou,

Thank you for your posting.  I would love to have cuttings from the "Cosenza" tree and I would happily pay for postage and handling.

My email address is jmgrandinetti@msn.com

We live in Mountaintop, PA...just south of Wilkes-Barre.

I traveled to my grandparents' towns in Calabria in 1989 and 1994, visiting some relatives and tracing the family history.  That was before my fig growing days, otherwise I would have definitely "smuggled" out some cuttings!

Thanks again and I'll wait to hear form you.

Joe Grandinetti
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  • FMD

 Lou, I just wanted to thank you formally for conserving and distributing this wonderful fig from San Donato Di Ninea. What a great back story!
Joe Grandinetti kindly sent me a few cuttings 3 years ago and last fall it produced dozens of delicious figs. Like Joe, I have a passion for figs from Calabria having been born and raised there for the first 7 years of my life. 
I consider this fig to be in my top 5 in taste, vigor, and productivity. Having a tight eye (in humid Florida) is a terrific bonus.
Thanks Lou and Joe.
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Originally Posted by FMD
 Lou, I just wanted to thank you formally for conserving and distributing this wonderful fig from San Donato Di Ninea. What a great back story!
Joe Grandinetti kindly sent me a few cuttings 3 years ago and last fall it produced dozens of delicious figs. Like Joe, I have a passion for figs from Calabria having been born and raised there for the first 7 years of my life. 
I consider this fig to be in my top 5 in taste, vigor, and productivity. Having a tight eye (in humid Florida) is a terrific bonus.
Thanks Lou and Joe.




Calíbrese figs are something I am always on the look out for. Half of me is Calabrian and the other half is Campanian- my Mother's side. I had a tree from Calabria in my backyard growing up in New Jersey, but I am sure it is long gone by now. Maybe. My son is going to try and visit the people who own the house now and see if he can get clippings. If so, I will share them with you guys. We shall see.

BTW: Did you know that if you are of Calabrian ancestry, especially if your mother is Calabrian, then you more than likely are carrying the J2 haplotrop gene in your body. This means you are related to not only the Greeks, but all the peoples who live or lived in the Fertile Crescent and Asia Minor - today's Turkey, Syria, Iraq and elsewhere. When these people migrated, they took their fig trees with them. :-)

Joe in Georgia
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Jon
You mentioned Calabrese Cucumber?  Adrianno has a Zuchini fig is that the same one?
Thanks
p.s. I travelled trough Calabria and tasted (stuffed myself) some green and black figs.  The tastes were amazing.  Haven't tasted any other figs like that since but the 2 tastes are still clear in my mind. 
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