Author Linda Ziedrich will discuss her book First Fruits: The Lewellings and the Birth of the Pacific Coast Fruit Industry. This is a free event, with seating available on a first-come, first-seated basis. This author talk is supported by the Salem Public Library Foundation. 

First Fruits offers a fascinating look at the lives of Pacific Coast horticulturists Henderson, Jonathan, and Seth Lewelling. Traveling across the Overland Trail--Henderson to Oregon in 1847, with a wagonload of fruit trees, and Seth and John to California three years later--the brothers would establish themselves as pioneers in the West's growing fruit industry. By recounting how Henderson planted the first orchard of grafted fruit trees in Oregon, how Seth originated the Black Republican and Bing cherries, and how John led the development of the Napa Valley wine industry, First Fruits preserves the Lewellings' place in history.

Linda Ziedrich writes about food from garden to table, culinary history, and the cuisines of the world. Her books include The Curious Kitchen Gardener: Uncommon Plants and How to Eat Them and The Joy of Pickling, now in its third edition. She lives in Lebanon, Oregon.