Interview with Joe Harbrahcka

At last, Joe Harbrahcka , the owner of the last surviving pure-bred Gerard tree is feeling better so we were finally able to speak to him. Here is a brief bio of him. Joe Harbrahcka was born on a farm in rural Nevada. He was raised eating Gerard kumquats and was very sad to see them slowly be merged to other types and disappear. In 1996 he was living in Santa Barbara working for an local auto insurance company when he saw a pure bred Gerard tree at an auction. Nobody else at the auction recognized its value so he got it cheap. Shortly after, he got married, moved to Napa and bought a house. He planted the tree and later, its seeds. Now he is a postal worker in Petaluma and sells fresh kumquats and kumquat preserves at the farmer's market in his hometown.

Kumquats Inc - What was your first thought when recognizing the Gerard tree at the auction in 1996?

Harbrahcka-The moment seeing it was breathtaking and exciting for me, and the auctioneer was surprised by my joyous reaction.

Kumquats Inc-How has this effected your everyday life?

Harbrahcka-I enjoy seeing my Gerard trees in the side lawn each day as I go out for work, and I do not take this for granted.

Kumquats Inc-How do you think this has effected the kumquat world?

Harbrahcka-I think that the fact that there are only a few trees left of a type of kumquat has spurred conservation efforts so that even when the large corporations cast off a breed, it remains alive instead of getting lost to future generations as the Gerard almost did.

In general news , the PaleGrapefruit Kumquat, aquired by Tobango last May, is doing better than expected in sales. It was rated 4 out of 5 Kumquats in a taste test by Obie's Kumquats, the largest kumquat retailer and news outlet in the greater midwest.

"The more rated kumquats, the better," said Obie's before the testing.

The review said the new kumquat was "sweet, with fruity flavors and a bright, citrusy finish"

In other news, the King of Norway recently appointed twin sisters Glenda and Gretta Krinkenhoffen to the country's special kumquat advisory board.

Next Post: Kumquat Shipping Expert for the U. N. International Trade Committee E. Fergo Gordon on Djiboutian kumquat pirates.