Clair Joseph Lammers

Pioneer, Father, Grandfather

Longtime Fairbanks resident, Clair Joseph Lammers, had a passion for sustainable agriculture and cold weather fruit growing. Starting in the early 1990's, his final career was as an apple orchard cultivator and nursery curator. His goal was to develop a viable apple orchard in the Interior to provide fresh fruit. He pursued this dream with determination and commitment, leading to the development of many hardy apple strains. His desire to develop a commercial orchard was one of many objectives and accomplishments he achieved in life.

He was affectionately known to local foodies as “the apple man,” because of his amazing ability to grow fruit at his farm, Clair’s Cultivations, off of Chena Hot Springs Road. Clair was a pioneer in the Tanana Valley and the research conducted focused on the hardiness of Russian apples. He would graft different varieties of apple trees together to produce apples that would grow rapidly during the short season in the summer, and yet, were a hardy enough tree to survive the frigid winters. He had been tinkering for more than 20 years with tree fruit in the region, where winter temperatures can plunge to 60 degrees below zero and soar into the 90s in late summer.

He has been deeply missed and fondly remembered for his unyielding love and commitment to his family. He lived his life with a big dream and worked hard to make it a reality.

It has now flourished into a 200+ fruit orchard with a great story to share about his journey.