What was the
obsession of Italian immigrants growing trees in this part of the country where the climate is inhospitable to figs? I believe it was a symbol of cultural identity.
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| Mid-July |
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My parents’ fig tree was brought here illegally by my father in 1957 despite the risk of being confiscated and fined. I guess he was trying hard to smuggle a little dream of Abruzzese sweetness into a cold Northeastern climate.
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| August - Our first harvest |
He nurtured it like a baby. In late fall, he would tie the branches of the fig tree and wrap it snugly with a huge blanket of leaves. Then, cover it with old rugs and plastic to further shield it from the winter’s harshness.
The fig tree outlived my father and now we carry on the legacy of nurturing the tree. The reward for this care is worth the minimal effort. In late August, after eating a fig right off the tree - honey like and fragile – it is easy to understand why someone would try so hard to grow a Mediterranean tree under such unfriendly conditions.
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A delicious obsession
Today, our children have their own little fig tree. For us, it signifies family unity, strength and perseverance.
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