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Adam Burke

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Stories that explore diverse histories embedded in the landscapes of Colorado.

4D AGO

The Fruit Wizard of Montezuma County

In the early 1900s, a man from eastern Tennessee built an apple economy in Montezuma County. Jasper Hall was known as the Fruit Wizard of Montezuma County, and for decades it seemed he had succeeded. These days, there are only remnant orchards in southwest Colorado, and the heritage apple trees planted at the end of the 19th century are dying off. Was Jasper Hall's life an historic footnote? Or was he a visionary ahead of his time? This is the story about one man's quest to turn southwest Colorado into an apple Mecca, and the orchard economy blueprint he left behind. We also hear from apple detectives in Colorado and across the US who are working to save heritage varieties before they're lost forever. **** © Magic City Studios, 2026 Hosting, reporting, production and musical scoring by Adam Burke. Support from the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority, and Southwest Colorado's 250-150 Local Organizing Committee. Chapters (00:00:05) - The story of Colorado's crab apples(00:02:31) - The History of Montezuma County Apple Orchards(00:13:30) - A taste of Colorado's rare apples(00:21:25) - The Landscape: Colorado's 150th Anniversary Podcast

23 min

1 Episode

Stories that explore diverse histories embedded in the landscapes of Colorado.

Creator

Adam Burke
Years Active

2K
Episodes

1
Rating

Clean
Copyright

© 2026
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TERRITORIES