Greg Quinn (farmer)

Last updated
Greg Quinn
Born
Greg Henry Quinn
OccupationFarmer
Known for Blackcurrant promoter

Greg Quinn (born 1950) is an American farmer in Staatsburg, New York, who lobbied several NY state senators and assemblypersons and in 2003, was successful in overturning the ban on the commercial cultivation of blackcurrants, [1] enacted by Congress in 1911. blackcurrants, [1] a berry fruit used in juice, jams, candy, yogurt, ice cream, and cereal provide twice the antioxidant ORAC capacity per serving of blueberries, four times the vitamin C content of oranges, and twice the potassium content of bananas. [1] With no supply and no market, Quinn founded his company, CurrantC™, in 2003 and began to grow black currants on his 135-acre (55 ha), farm and Quinn sought to interest consumers and New York farmers in the fruit, which was then being supplied to the United States by Europe [1] usually in the form of preserves. CurrantC™ is now the number one supplier of Currant products in the United States. In addition to farming and teaching at the New York Botanical Garden, Quinn has written eight children's books published by Scholastic Press, including the titles A Gift of a Tree, The Garden in Our Yard, 365 Meditations for Teachers, and books within the Natural Treasure series. [2] He also has written for SKY magazine, Good Housekeeping , and Fine Gardening and has been "The Garden and Nature Guy" on WHUD and other Pamal Broadcasting radio stations, and FOX 5 television, WNYW out of New York City.

Contents

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grape</span> Fruit growing on woody vines in clusters

A grape is a fruit, botanically a berry, of the deciduous woody vines of the flowering plant genus Vitis. Grapes are a non-climacteric type of fruit, generally occurring in clusters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Berry</span> In the culinary sense, small edible fruit

A berry is a small, pulpy, and often edible fruit. Typically, berries are juicy, rounded, brightly colored, sweet, sour or tart, and do not have a stone or pit, although many pips or seeds may be present. Common examples of berries in the culinary sense are strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, white currants, blackcurrants, and redcurrants. In Britain, soft fruit is a horticultural term for such fruits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blackcurrant</span> Species of flowering plant in the gooseberry family Grossulariaceae

The blackcurrant, also known as black currant or cassis, is a deciduous shrub in the family Grossulariaceae grown for its edible berries. It is native to temperate parts of central and northern Europe and northern Asia, where it prefers damp fertile soils. It is widely cultivated both commercially and domestically.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zante currant</span> Variety of grape

Zante currants, Corinth raisins, Corinthian raisins or outside the United States simply currants, are raisins of the small, sweet, seedless grape cultivar Black Corinth. The name comes from the Anglo-French phrase "raisins de Corinthe" and the Ionian island of Zakynthos (Zante), which was once the major producer and exporter. It is not related to black, red or white currants, which are berries of shrubs in the genus Ribes and not usually prepared in dried form.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crème de cassis</span> Liqueur made from blackcurrants

Crème de cassis is a sweet, dark red liqueur made from blackcurrants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Squash (drink)</span> Non-alcoholic concentrated syrup

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Ribes is a genus of about 200 known species of flowering plants, most of them native to the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The various species are known as currants or gooseberries, and some are cultivated for their edible fruit or as ornamental plants. Ribes is the only genus in the family Grossulariaceae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Redcurrant</span> Species of flowering plant in the gooseberry family Grossulariaceae

The redcurrant or red currant is a member of the genus Ribes in the gooseberry family. It is native to western Europe. The species is widely cultivated and has escaped into the wild in many regions.

Horilka is a Ukrainian alcoholic beverage.

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<i>Cecidophyopsis ribis</i> Species of mite

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jostaberry</span> Berry and plant

The jostaberry is a complex-cross fruit bush in the genus Ribes, involving three original species, the blackcurrant R. nigrum, the North American coastal black gooseberry R. divaricatum, and the European gooseberry R. uva-crispa. It is similar to Ribes × culverwellii, the jochelbeere, which is descended from just two of these species, R. nigrum and R. uva-crispa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beaver Buzz</span> Canadian energy drink brand

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<i>Ribes aureum</i> Species of plant

Ribes aureum, known by the common names golden currant, clove currant, pruterberry and buffalo currant, is a species of flowering plant in the genus Ribes native to North America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White currant</span> Cultivars of Ribes rubrum, a species of flowering plant in the gooseberry family Grossulariaceae

The white currant or whitecurrant is a group of cultivars of the red currant, a species of flowering plant in the family Grossulariaceae, native to Europe.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cream Ridge Winery</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blackcurrant production in the United States</span> Agricultural production

Blackcurrant production in the United States is relatively limited. The blackcurrant was introduced by English settlers at the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1629 and was cultivated on some scale, particularly in New York. The plant acts as a host for the white pine blister rust that threatened the timber industry. In 1911, the federal government banned the cultivation, sale, and transport of blackcurrants to protect the white pine. Government programs systematically destroyed blackcurrant plants by chemical spraying.

<i>Geist</i> (liquor) Distilled beverage

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Lisa W. Foderaro (October 16, 2003). "Is This New York's Idaho Potato?; Entrepreneur Has Grand Plans for Black Currants". New York Times . Retrieved August 6, 2012.
  2. "Greg Henry Quinn publications". WorldCat . 2012. Retrieved August 6, 2012.

Further reading

41°50′32″N73°50′35″W / 41.842095°N 73.842952°W / 41.842095; -73.842952