[WLA-All] Press Release: WLA wins horticultural victory

[Brian Greene]

WYOMING LIBRARY ASSOCIATION
P.O. Box 1387
Cheyenne, WY  82003-1387 
wyla.org  
 
CONTACT: Brian Greene
Wyoming State Library
307.777.6339
 
April 1, 2008
For Immediate Release
 
WLA wins horticultural victory
 
Brian Greene, WLA president, announces a significant breakthrough
after meeting with Wyoming Department of Agriculture officials.
The department's rules require an approval process of Wyoming
entities seeking special designation for any product in the state's 
horticultural inventory.  Yesterday, WLA received the department's
approval for an initiative to make the Wyoming Lyberry 
(Lyberria wyoinfo) the official state berry.  Cathy Butler, 
chair of the WLA Legislative Committee, has been asked to begin
the effort to legally designate the Wyoming Lyberry the official 
state berry.  Greene stated, "This is the fruition of a wonderful
collaborative effort.  The efforts of all involved are berry much
appreciated."
 
Background:
 
The lyberry, like corn, has been around since ancient times.  
Like  corn, the present-day varieties of lyberry bear little resemblance 
to their ancestors.  Remains of very early lyberries have been found 
in the clay of the Middle East and in the sands of Egypt, but the 
lyberry as we know it today was born in colonial times.  It was Ben 
Franklin who propagated a new species Lyberria circulata  which 
became the ancestor of the hardy and useful variety we know 
today as Lyberria publicana, the public lyberry.
 
Since Franklin's time, Women's Clubs played Johnny Appleseed, 
planting lyberries in every state and tending them until they 
became well-established.  Andrew Carnegie's well known fondness
for Lyberria publicana was vital to the growth of that species in 
this country and internationally.
 
Why does WLA care about an official designation for Wyoming
lyberries?   Lyberries have been shown to have mind-expanding 
properties.  Studies indicate that they enhance both the 
right-brain and left-brain functions of anyone who uses them 
regularly.  And their effect has been shown to be both 
cumulative and long-lasting.  Lyberries are truly brain food!
 
Several Lyberry species have been grown in Wyoming, 
but by far the hardiest is Lyberria wyoinfo, commonly 
known as the Wyoming Lyberry, a hybrid propagated  
years ago with funding support from the Wyoming State 
Legislature.  This hybrid stems from the union of the 
Lyberria circulata with the Lyberria servicae.  The Wyoming 
Lyberry success story is due to its resilient interconnectivity 
characteristics.   These allow them to thrive statewide 
and provide support and sustenance to residents of this great state.
 
Finally, new wine-making technologies have made Wyoming 
Lyberry wines award-winners.  The success of an international 
marketing effort reached another milestone when Chinese officials 
made it the official wine of the 2008 Summer Olympics. 
The Wyoming spirit lives on the spirits of the Olympics.
Isn't that wyld?  Let's keep the good news circulating.
 
Thank you berry much for reading to the end of this April 1st story!
 
The inspiration for this story is due in large part to Ada Howard 
and a radio editorial in 2001.  Ada is currently a member of the 
Fremont County Library Board of Trustees and a former library 
director of the same library system.