tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5952831596526249982024-02-22T11:08:07.433-05:00A LIFE OF APPLESChrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04478527489060892621noreply@blogger.comBlogger71125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-595283159652624998.post-44922326103447341482011-08-15T08:17:00.000-04:002011-08-15T08:17:42.340-04:00Pristine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuO8pynxR7LgvdXaAS9qjWZneNXiBM2lG2F5Vjr5rDD1fYbxDIXS28z_V6hEIsYyw-LdRUE3ZlZwQEeB20GU7U6DN1GpBh70I6yE_L87MmzFGLZvqkzbViOhRMa60Kc-qygm3Mrktxpbwo/s1600/P8102571.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuO8pynxR7LgvdXaAS9qjWZneNXiBM2lG2F5Vjr5rDD1fYbxDIXS28z_V6hEIsYyw-LdRUE3ZlZwQEeB20GU7U6DN1GpBh70I6yE_L87MmzFGLZvqkzbViOhRMa60Kc-qygm3Mrktxpbwo/s320/P8102571.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> The second variety to come ripe in the orchard, this early season apple took me by surprise. Unlike many early varieties, I actually enjoyed eating this one. It has amazing texture for an apple that is ripe in August and the flavor is still very acidic, but also sweet. If it weren't still in the 80's I could almost be convinced I was eating a Goldrush. <br />
Like its end-of-the-season counterpart, Pristine is also a product of the Purdue-Rutgers-Illinois (PRI) cooperative apple breeding program. It was released for commercial planting in the mid '90s and luckily for me has shown resistance or immunity to Apple Scab, Fireblight, Powdery Mildew and Cedar Apple Rust. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>The other added benefit of this variety is that it has amazing storage properties for an early apple. Even after days without refrigeration the apples still retained a great texture that varied only slightly from the first one I bit into straight off the tree. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEZsO2JMsZfYay_4ECN13Awy6d7o1rOIu5Ym9w00f1HW43SzOloEbm8p5-aml5Lvj00woiOGwKYK1Ck8agvzpBMFDAtLCvXvF7LMKfwD_flD7xeR_MrlTLf_b5wr6jMYG8h2NyQnxY9wEW/s1600/P8102573.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEZsO2JMsZfYay_4ECN13Awy6d7o1rOIu5Ym9w00f1HW43SzOloEbm8p5-aml5Lvj00woiOGwKYK1Ck8agvzpBMFDAtLCvXvF7LMKfwD_flD7xeR_MrlTLf_b5wr6jMYG8h2NyQnxY9wEW/s400/P8102573.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04478527489060892621noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-595283159652624998.post-34076225577103773302011-08-08T23:10:00.000-04:002011-08-08T23:10:49.548-04:00Early Harvest<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLCcTOEmphlXAzdl1kH-PXxJOGF9MOS7LY43K-40-3OE9J8njsmAeWpXBh1GwpA5RFnoQbk1AD6w06ygiUeVyOeeiGiQoXA3iTvehmBxyKmMfDmwW2gi54Xn2TSaLB5sGsINwIE-6cNORi/s1600/P8012560.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLCcTOEmphlXAzdl1kH-PXxJOGF9MOS7LY43K-40-3OE9J8njsmAeWpXBh1GwpA5RFnoQbk1AD6w06ygiUeVyOeeiGiQoXA3iTvehmBxyKmMfDmwW2gi54Xn2TSaLB5sGsINwIE-6cNORi/s400/P8012560.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>The first harvest of the season happened this past week at the orchard. The variety aptly, if not creatively called Early Harvest is similar to Yellow Transparent in size and date of maturity. The apples are small and only suitable for eating if you appreciate tartness. I imagine these small early apples would be more suited to pies, sauces or chutneys. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4nDy7vfETeMrE6FM7P3cdnQGUVPe2Jrm2A81-sRjvx7wIgRUfzLakEVjEFFrQFY7VKJ263tG10GO3C13BGhQGe-6MjTbPgmbQp3GUc_Odgys024KX9NFxUQmP_kAA9NY19wZRwztCC2Hv/s1600/P8012564.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4nDy7vfETeMrE6FM7P3cdnQGUVPe2Jrm2A81-sRjvx7wIgRUfzLakEVjEFFrQFY7VKJ263tG10GO3C13BGhQGe-6MjTbPgmbQp3GUc_Odgys024KX9NFxUQmP_kAA9NY19wZRwztCC2Hv/s200/P8012564.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div>It was very satifiying to harvest the first apples. After a spring and summer of hard work, anticipation and a healthy dose of skepticism, it felt very rewarding to see the first fruits of my labor. This is only the beginning of the season and I am looking forward to all the surprises yet to come. With so many varieties in the orchard, it is sometimes hard to find any information on a certain cultivar in order to ascertain even an approximate harvest date. The only logical alternative is to walk the orchard on a regular basis, looking for those trees with a few fallen fruits around their trunk and tasting lots of apples. My time could certainly be spent in less desirable ways. <br />
<br />
Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04478527489060892621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-595283159652624998.post-89836153815614601732011-08-03T11:35:00.000-04:002011-08-03T11:35:59.126-04:00Catching Up<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div> The summer has flown by and although this blog has been idle since bloom, the orchard has been a bustling place. Spraying, mowing, thinning and summer pruning have taken up much of my time, while the apples have grown and the plums have ripened. Rather than spending what feels like precious minutes or hours this time of year, writing about the past several months in the orchard I have put together a photo journal of sorts. As they say, a picture speaks a thousand words, so this will by far me my longest post yet! <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPpUmcABq-fg60yXveR8H-aVaKbJNnryj0KjM1mzkGkoG9eaEmhEAAWgerez576fFTukPFK_8Ql2CWiLaqtNjWdaxmdRWIqYSau4lPYGZhfBb3l7V0sPHSk3WXUOSgFxayqRXH3uxsUcvI/s1600/P5272439.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPpUmcABq-fg60yXveR8H-aVaKbJNnryj0KjM1mzkGkoG9eaEmhEAAWgerez576fFTukPFK_8Ql2CWiLaqtNjWdaxmdRWIqYSau4lPYGZhfBb3l7V0sPHSk3WXUOSgFxayqRXH3uxsUcvI/s320/P5272439.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fruit set, the miracle of pollination</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnt1DeaNpN-8x_455xEQBj5vfCDHkuzexRHojO_uZf8coNFzYQ8Km094aLCFYVDvz1rEQC0rCELY6fr4LpwtV3EiFqAveI10zdd3Sd3PvNYeH9oHvMK7kP4e9SECDfVuufkgmoFFKzQNKG/s1600/P5272433.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnt1DeaNpN-8x_455xEQBj5vfCDHkuzexRHojO_uZf8coNFzYQ8Km094aLCFYVDvz1rEQC0rCELY6fr4LpwtV3EiFqAveI10zdd3Sd3PvNYeH9oHvMK7kP4e9SECDfVuufkgmoFFKzQNKG/s320/P5272433.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby Pears</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhM_90DeHWKA_sAJWSJFBaAtgUa59gn6NfXWPz6iM_C09sq6Gzm_fhIWDNN1h5WyRbDv74GKpe1Nqs1lz-G_kpOL5U8ObQC3Jal_TQ2-ucJIrREeOLZq7sh2hyphenhyphenqlD2BDHSREXO_WmdaPgR/s1600/P6062445.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhM_90DeHWKA_sAJWSJFBaAtgUa59gn6NfXWPz6iM_C09sq6Gzm_fhIWDNN1h5WyRbDv74GKpe1Nqs1lz-G_kpOL5U8ObQC3Jal_TQ2-ucJIrREeOLZq7sh2hyphenhyphenqlD2BDHSREXO_WmdaPgR/s400/P6062445.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A freshly mowed orchard</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFH26Y5ysg-1VOHN2vwWDu_dbRkDwcG7dyzu6hflQxUhdqG03qbqjsQd2ZdzOfB1wJ8kI1i_pIfh0JDIbwjBEhg-2W0OHUmVw9ekO_2Qxg_Ht4bmc0WHwGgY3H5v7q1HZS8GLOeXQFS01W/s1600/P6062451.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFH26Y5ysg-1VOHN2vwWDu_dbRkDwcG7dyzu6hflQxUhdqG03qbqjsQd2ZdzOfB1wJ8kI1i_pIfh0JDIbwjBEhg-2W0OHUmVw9ekO_2Qxg_Ht4bmc0WHwGgY3H5v7q1HZS8GLOeXQFS01W/s400/P6062451.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Silver Tree" Good coverage of Kaolin Clay</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiONpB-kZ2PLOQ0Ao6sAkFbcZx87lHdhBN1MG-2UHFHobGFWx6xXMVo5YeH358_lcLR2TGCxzASL5asp5i6L6UB62yF1xy2MpfuKf4yN2erMO-IYZntDLNLpQmIunVOIYdf4yIYjkMHyNGi/s1600/P6062456.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiONpB-kZ2PLOQ0Ao6sAkFbcZx87lHdhBN1MG-2UHFHobGFWx6xXMVo5YeH358_lcLR2TGCxzASL5asp5i6L6UB62yF1xy2MpfuKf4yN2erMO-IYZntDLNLpQmIunVOIYdf4yIYjkMHyNGi/s400/P6062456.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Almost time to thin</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8CFhNhjU32sXgBA0Uvr6uFpgky6HwbVEJQfJo4CQY8XB8vnjBW5ckQpcBA8kAybnJoQQvbHKufEE_FTSjZomSPPtmKlAsuT3lB44a2EluX8K8GYyIXhU_C50S7s145h3SAkgGJK9b0Ihf/s1600/P6192506.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8CFhNhjU32sXgBA0Uvr6uFpgky6HwbVEJQfJo4CQY8XB8vnjBW5ckQpcBA8kAybnJoQQvbHKufEE_FTSjZomSPPtmKlAsuT3lB44a2EluX8K8GYyIXhU_C50S7s145h3SAkgGJK9b0Ihf/s400/P6192506.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adolescent Pear. "They just grow up so fast"</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-NfoDcCm4V0HBx1uMhpgDlHOi9q8P4shrczzP3euljrVJMW7KRk3b9MJRorLTbtVI1wsTJgrL394s3n-GE5kVk_zI0kPIzDr1fd8Fi-pvjq2vrCDGeSZ_lUs65OCB0OalhnGyFMi1yCPz/s1600/P6192521.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-NfoDcCm4V0HBx1uMhpgDlHOi9q8P4shrczzP3euljrVJMW7KRk3b9MJRorLTbtVI1wsTJgrL394s3n-GE5kVk_zI0kPIzDr1fd8Fi-pvjq2vrCDGeSZ_lUs65OCB0OalhnGyFMi1yCPz/s320/P6192521.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thinning Time</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7fW9cd7Dl7IFPaedj4y3o347NKbpIMVE338rk5Z4lOiNdxBPOg0Dbr8nbHWvMAVlkf89VqxqV5PS89Y-hCqmFWuKxiIOc7moEWUMkhJEUA68ISTBrAXndkgB-goYgiSojB4qVbAd-Y9tX/s1600/P6192516.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7fW9cd7Dl7IFPaedj4y3o347NKbpIMVE338rk5Z4lOiNdxBPOg0Dbr8nbHWvMAVlkf89VqxqV5PS89Y-hCqmFWuKxiIOc7moEWUMkhJEUA68ISTBrAXndkgB-goYgiSojB4qVbAd-Y9tX/s320/P6192516.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Infested apples are thinned and removed from the orchard </td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1rq9wwQ2uaNTpNnmPS_zWRWkehSQ7kgGtcnGu37ahipoOa07DIqNb0u6fJyD5PERYnsytDbo0k42xnnRb1vSGa4Oi0ifz_nuEbzhOAnKnCse4-jeUs-bGllqY4hhPzN5KX0iQRbycNZ_G/s1600/P6192524.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1rq9wwQ2uaNTpNnmPS_zWRWkehSQ7kgGtcnGu37ahipoOa07DIqNb0u6fJyD5PERYnsytDbo0k42xnnRb1vSGa4Oi0ifz_nuEbzhOAnKnCse4-jeUs-bGllqY4hhPzN5KX0iQRbycNZ_G/s320/P6192524.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sometimes you just can't pick one</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEignEakBa-4ABwsytLJ57x6a5CXGobgbgs9OnZXoo0AJ_QFaMpOlYZUwxXGIpgBNtsUWgsGFxoCo1wv7OKP-bpHmMAehmtdythuRlp3thxuJgxnF6ynwyRMwpYiXnz7gQVHNYPJcYZWfY2E/s1600/P6192528.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEignEakBa-4ABwsytLJ57x6a5CXGobgbgs9OnZXoo0AJ_QFaMpOlYZUwxXGIpgBNtsUWgsGFxoCo1wv7OKP-bpHmMAehmtdythuRlp3thxuJgxnF6ynwyRMwpYiXnz7gQVHNYPJcYZWfY2E/s400/P6192528.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Prune plums</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXdk3PDX12AQqvH2xUc0kJM_EjaPBgfa1S4GXwsUnc1OXgQnCma3R7WX5UOjqa6yr8myOZsIyHegKS-zEQal8hiCRuhohSKowU6JfqCehFgum7-XwiCmPzz8C-m4ezfKrRO3z12hcxBB90/s1600/P7142537.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXdk3PDX12AQqvH2xUc0kJM_EjaPBgfa1S4GXwsUnc1OXgQnCma3R7WX5UOjqa6yr8myOZsIyHegKS-zEQal8hiCRuhohSKowU6JfqCehFgum7-XwiCmPzz8C-m4ezfKrRO3z12hcxBB90/s320/P7142537.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first plums</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQSM0XrzaLpAT_VAhkNbh_A1-shVK4gFL3j40QEgmfXbRE5qSZ7iYbN2VOaf6-YZ00IVTvtpUI1cdWkrVdN7FwyZEZaIA10H3Ml3T8FbRcPg9JghyphenhyphenXUrArCJKMLBCQkbHs4K0VYvxtq02d/s1600/P7142539.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQSM0XrzaLpAT_VAhkNbh_A1-shVK4gFL3j40QEgmfXbRE5qSZ7iYbN2VOaf6-YZ00IVTvtpUI1cdWkrVdN7FwyZEZaIA10H3Ml3T8FbRcPg9JghyphenhyphenXUrArCJKMLBCQkbHs4K0VYvxtq02d/s320/P7142539.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTMv5g5cpC5iAK5fnFI7OJgnCBFvjtk5wPEMBrrc-eY3kdh9OM1XXuM4Boa16mkM0Uqc8Uw0UMAnDVMdlXLWQKlGVwPpuNQ0nmQhnR2S50p1iQdakdtzHrVpW4iAk9GX-_Yn-_zDhTuRyw/s1600/P7142541.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTMv5g5cpC5iAK5fnFI7OJgnCBFvjtk5wPEMBrrc-eY3kdh9OM1XXuM4Boa16mkM0Uqc8Uw0UMAnDVMdlXLWQKlGVwPpuNQ0nmQhnR2S50p1iQdakdtzHrVpW4iAk9GX-_Yn-_zDhTuRyw/s320/P7142541.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So many plums</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMCIU6qXZtnIWME6xCmQF3qDU2jtGbvoPDTqBKFs7SeKaFV8jWPwAjemxeNTeyYvEAih1nQYV4VQrtLHJgi0dZOm0sLs4TMC_HKo4Uc7l6e_DFhUqRfhjdrXh5pbBBIrXts5qVGhMXDo9Q/s1600/P7262544.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMCIU6qXZtnIWME6xCmQF3qDU2jtGbvoPDTqBKFs7SeKaFV8jWPwAjemxeNTeyYvEAih1nQYV4VQrtLHJgi0dZOm0sLs4TMC_HKo4Uc7l6e_DFhUqRfhjdrXh5pbBBIrXts5qVGhMXDo9Q/s400/P7262544.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Summer Bounty</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgapvQHql6qTfAvxkDBlmwc94dcWb6qy3PrT5AfFagcGi7ssHLp4aL8D9QHT9g1OjXtj-d77hFmeF7nuUp-8GbKiOfa-n4JQ8oqPB6EWVMVwm-XksL20J5z3f2AJ_tZsLTMbBJvk9FSFgdG/s1600/P8012548.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgapvQHql6qTfAvxkDBlmwc94dcWb6qy3PrT5AfFagcGi7ssHLp4aL8D9QHT9g1OjXtj-d77hFmeF7nuUp-8GbKiOfa-n4JQ8oqPB6EWVMVwm-XksL20J5z3f2AJ_tZsLTMbBJvk9FSFgdG/s400/P8012548.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apples are getting big!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfsvuFuLbXXuoYjHafKlhyphenhyphenbQA5Fq952WjnjQsVGoOasvwGaYxFDxHSdojWdWYTQr0Y47xvjUNn8Hr1J0TX1E-xurakoGK_awB7VH0xCjpzYV-oK4A7JYl2Pw-F3VyZRrsKReS5zC2HMC3C/s1600/P8012549.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfsvuFuLbXXuoYjHafKlhyphenhyphenbQA5Fq952WjnjQsVGoOasvwGaYxFDxHSdojWdWYTQr0Y47xvjUNn8Hr1J0TX1E-xurakoGK_awB7VH0xCjpzYV-oK4A7JYl2Pw-F3VyZRrsKReS5zC2HMC3C/s400/P8012549.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Freedom. A very prolific variety with beautiful fruit</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf1wYrCnvVQGwZcPlvqymeCMAobP_n8FD7Bj7pSBQSXZaDa9mL9Ow5EG92XmYalw7cE5OY0oeTsEgl-mXro9ge6KtVQcytBvJPmQ_cwRftON2wVib0zbKrThglJw9dK9lY-su-XQQCigDQ/s1600/P8012552.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf1wYrCnvVQGwZcPlvqymeCMAobP_n8FD7Bj7pSBQSXZaDa9mL9Ow5EG92XmYalw7cE5OY0oeTsEgl-mXro9ge6KtVQcytBvJPmQ_cwRftON2wVib0zbKrThglJw9dK9lY-su-XQQCigDQ/s400/P8012552.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Showing some blush</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdcTl7jQE4U2SpT8gCH75CkL2OqAEw-FxdlfFFWo1vgRmhRWo-18xiDw5KxALZMpHxrZznwJFiD4OyVu7EY60yK10UBebSV02HR59f4JWfO2gE1ztumWo-1vV_i4QKqmkmb1pGANOMTyZd/s1600/P8012555.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdcTl7jQE4U2SpT8gCH75CkL2OqAEw-FxdlfFFWo1vgRmhRWo-18xiDw5KxALZMpHxrZznwJFiD4OyVu7EY60yK10UBebSV02HR59f4JWfO2gE1ztumWo-1vV_i4QKqmkmb1pGANOMTyZd/s400/P8012555.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paula Reds. These will come off the tree within the month</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Ij5nJ0HPl1tEO411SUXIKeVzJjNFXn3S4qWa6gv9Wi3TH_QoxQzq-yby6QNdPlCwUldbQcgHM9Arv-GVq3BtSKFTxQUPlu4heuTWbNMqOFpfhcPetkOrxZT6XFzQkzbx6Smlm_l6m_9b/s1600/P8012559.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Ij5nJ0HPl1tEO411SUXIKeVzJjNFXn3S4qWa6gv9Wi3TH_QoxQzq-yby6QNdPlCwUldbQcgHM9Arv-GVq3BtSKFTxQUPlu4heuTWbNMqOFpfhcPetkOrxZT6XFzQkzbx6Smlm_l6m_9b/s400/P8012559.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clapp Pears. Starting to color up, but they still need a few more months. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04478527489060892621noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-595283159652624998.post-53995745440021456622011-05-18T13:07:00.000-04:002011-05-18T13:07:22.863-04:00Bloom<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuRSfQcY05jPshe8VBHHeJH6OxTbpU1pHCJ2oOmdXWZTnP9Gc5-8uoY_t8wD2_x9UiJF1N5X5BwOtViMqPndW9Sb04xi5uJrPEovrFiQFdRyA0mOunz1JAf6bXX7Vm88wuiIZsrBtCAySN/s1600/P5092399.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuRSfQcY05jPshe8VBHHeJH6OxTbpU1pHCJ2oOmdXWZTnP9Gc5-8uoY_t8wD2_x9UiJF1N5X5BwOtViMqPndW9Sb04xi5uJrPEovrFiQFdRyA0mOunz1JAf6bXX7Vm88wuiIZsrBtCAySN/s400/P5092399.JPG" width="400" /></a></div> Although the rain has returned, the blossoms are out. I went out to visit the orchard yesterday after not being out there for several days and was struck by the chorus of trees almost all at some stage of bloom. All shades of pink, white and red brightened the fog veiled drizzle. The cool wet weather is a far from ideal for pollination. The majority of pollinators prefer the warmth of the sun and a calm wind. I was happy to see a few bumble bees buzzing around the wet violets and dandelions under some of the trees, but I am hoping for some drier warmer weather before the petals fall. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinbbTMqn9mJAr6z1-LioV-hDL36KwMk0QM_w8WAUI3h5rX1nqI5LLz8Vmx0yQu7o3eCggPpX7AsrGQPWtCXprD9w8YA98OeHSON39UkjzAfVXJmO3Uuqa5XZ_KSIsP7BJTEjBgSfWUUunD/s1600/P5122410.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinbbTMqn9mJAr6z1-LioV-hDL36KwMk0QM_w8WAUI3h5rX1nqI5LLz8Vmx0yQu7o3eCggPpX7AsrGQPWtCXprD9w8YA98OeHSON39UkjzAfVXJmO3Uuqa5XZ_KSIsP7BJTEjBgSfWUUunD/s400/P5122410.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Some of the early blooming varieties already have a light carpet of petals under their branches, signaling the need for the first spraying of the Kaolin clay, which will hopefully help protect the young fruits from European Apple Sawfly, Codling Moth and Plum Curculio all of which tend to find their way into the orchard during or soon after bloom. If I had more time and resources I would have traps out to monitor the pests and their arrival, instead I will have to rely on the less accurate, but sill useful degree day tracking method to estimate when the first of these insects may pose a threat to the developing fruit. In an ideal world, I would already have made the first application of the Kaolin clay, but the rain makes applying it almost impossible and if there is one thing I already knew before I got into all this, it is that the reality tending an orchard is more often than not, far from ideal. Once in a while though, when you are surrounded by blossoms, flitting birds and the aromatic spring air, you forget all that and just appreciate it for what it is. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbvan9M-Aks7YjbHlAYYg_A2BoapkejMNAllbd3FiodU6V5n-wSeLnLnIUq0hN69RK8r7z07Vs7z9pnCYlZguY1-ZaO4cn7rn9zbpgIgBJ3FePatFNTnqQjydxXQhbda-7GwRC6MFeO2ox/s1600/P5122426.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbvan9M-Aks7YjbHlAYYg_A2BoapkejMNAllbd3FiodU6V5n-wSeLnLnIUq0hN69RK8r7z07Vs7z9pnCYlZguY1-ZaO4cn7rn9zbpgIgBJ3FePatFNTnqQjydxXQhbda-7GwRC6MFeO2ox/s400/P5122426.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04478527489060892621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-595283159652624998.post-57949095998982526442011-05-08T21:32:00.000-04:002013-01-10T10:04:55.162-05:00King Blossom<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVqoTvoNIvo3l828EIb1UkH5jpd1UTuC3qY4ckfWBX32Ak3_InF7PsGB56ZQwGYJwaNpKv50bX-aSXQcKamw9GDpnRrvjcFIm2TtWtNriedSG5jSGuSUK1zmVauA2Ps-wFlzzvpVFy8ZqB/s1600/P5052358.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVqoTvoNIvo3l828EIb1UkH5jpd1UTuC3qY4ckfWBX32Ak3_InF7PsGB56ZQwGYJwaNpKv50bX-aSXQcKamw9GDpnRrvjcFIm2TtWtNriedSG5jSGuSUK1zmVauA2Ps-wFlzzvpVFy8ZqB/s400/P5052358.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Early Spring in the orchard</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The first blossoms opened yesterday on the Summer Scarlet, the earliest variety in the orchard to bloom. Every fruiting spur on an apple tree produces a cluster of six buds; five centered around a central blossom known as the King Blossom. This blossom is the first to open and pollination of it is key in insuring good fruit set. The fruit of the king blossom is often larger than the others in the cluster and is selected at thinning time if one is thinning by hand.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_bDQysrp6nLoQdKCFilYU3QV_j9M7Phb0s4kt35CBCF8hiFJkkbx9WdHdA7XUGFrFnWX-vE0gmvuAdJ9fv4i5tmQVyO_7KqW2c4Vo4y4Wc2aM3EpBMXPs5vu329B0MDFS9Yd55zkx9rg_/s1600/P5072386.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_bDQysrp6nLoQdKCFilYU3QV_j9M7Phb0s4kt35CBCF8hiFJkkbx9WdHdA7XUGFrFnWX-vE0gmvuAdJ9fv4i5tmQVyO_7KqW2c4Vo4y4Wc2aM3EpBMXPs5vu329B0MDFS9Yd55zkx9rg_/s320/P5072386.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">King blossom on Summer Scarlet</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
The orchard is finally drying out after a very wet April that has left Cayuga Lake (Ithaca's Finger Lake) above flood stage. With several sunny days under our belt and forecasts for the same, my mind is able to rest a bit, not having to think about spraying sulfur for scab again until the next predicted rain. The maples have burst in the past week as have the dandelions, laying out a yellow carpet for the bees in the orchard. There is a trade off when it comes to managing the understory of an orchard in the spring. The more flowers that are blooming along side the apples, the more there is to tempt the bees, but the same flowers that attract the busy pollinators to the apple trees, also compete with them for attention. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDEFSl1ueGluQIztL0J7RlTkFroq5gce9CCnmplyrsnVAhrxUz0TXHn5ulKfaQ2OeNQTjUMXymC-XZnNkZDSD_iYm0ISwR2OlLhKNlOT5G2zsruf_7eyjBP96ApDSTKs7iZRpSQSrIASdC/s1600/P5062370.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDEFSl1ueGluQIztL0J7RlTkFroq5gce9CCnmplyrsnVAhrxUz0TXHn5ulKfaQ2OeNQTjUMXymC-XZnNkZDSD_iYm0ISwR2OlLhKNlOT5G2zsruf_7eyjBP96ApDSTKs7iZRpSQSrIASdC/s400/P5062370.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pink</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
I piled up the last of the winter prunings this past week, cutting the branches into manageable sizes and piling them as neatly as possible throughout the orchard. Once I can find a way to get the trailer load of prunings out of the mud, where it has sat for several weeks, I can slowly continue moving the prunings out of the orchard where they will ideally be burned to keep any diseased wood from spreading canker spores around the orchard.<br />
<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyWHaX-IR_grKLa10QdSVuIL5kzA5zDuaVE7vyEPIpqrIIlyNQMP__d-ZFwscbH0kiZyo543r0mesmD9fenOWFQEZjitDG-hw8dcb2hu_Ab3u13NdCSJz8KmKo17GMP-Pid2BrL6fI9x3z/s1600/P5072389.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyWHaX-IR_grKLa10QdSVuIL5kzA5zDuaVE7vyEPIpqrIIlyNQMP__d-ZFwscbH0kiZyo543r0mesmD9fenOWFQEZjitDG-hw8dcb2hu_Ab3u13NdCSJz8KmKo17GMP-Pid2BrL6fI9x3z/s400/P5072389.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">Clap Pear Blossoms</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Some of the plums already have a blanket of pedals under their branches and the two lonely pears look ready to burst. The next several weeks will bring new trees blooming every day as the hundreds of apple varieties in the orchard each take the stage.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04478527489060892621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-595283159652624998.post-71933698366576570992011-04-30T10:58:00.000-04:002011-04-30T10:58:42.846-04:00The OrchardAnother winter has passed and although it may be shy in its arrival, spring is upon us. The new season has brought with it not only green buds on the trees and blooming forsythia, but also new developments in my life. This past winter I stumbled upon an opportunity I could not pass up: an orchard in need of a caretaker. <a href="http://www.lansingstar.com/business-profiles/3983-business-profile-one-of-a-kind-orchard">One of a Kind Orchard</a> was owned and cared for by Ray Reynolds and his wife Barbara for many years until Ray passed away nearly a year ago. For several years now the more than 500 trees comprising almost as many varieties of heirloom and traditional apples have gone untended. Not wanting to see such a treasure lost, Barbara has graciously allowed me to tend the orchard and take from it what fruit the harvest provides as my compensation.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzh7ZmO3YEmrvA4ANElclGibcWrY7GQxFYfXMcmO52_WvC13m3zsQ3gtAwykVkoi63QcG3Bru5rctg7yS-4MkUXAbEnD3utxdeElBjyWYbHDy534RGVK3Wmp17vTppPrQhI3tXm9YOb1gR/s1600/P2112260.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzh7ZmO3YEmrvA4ANElclGibcWrY7GQxFYfXMcmO52_WvC13m3zsQ3gtAwykVkoi63QcG3Bru5rctg7yS-4MkUXAbEnD3utxdeElBjyWYbHDy534RGVK3Wmp17vTppPrQhI3tXm9YOb1gR/s400/P2112260.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Winter Pruning</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table> Taking on such an endeavor feels like going from 0 to 60 in the matter of a few months. The knowledge I had of organic apple growing has already increased ten fold and I have come to appreciate the value of learning through necessity. Having taken on this project in mid-February, I spent the slow cold days of winter with my head in books on pruning and organic apple production, taking some of the "warmer" days to venture out to the orchard to make my first pruning cuts and walk in the knee deep snow, up and down the rows slowly getting to know the trees. March brought more pruning. As I become more accustomed to the saw and loppers and more confident in my cuts I moved through the trees more quickly, especially on those days when a friend or two would come out and lend a hand.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNnfb2ICkUyWECl75j4_zrjcQvCdVTdx-dV9h6-wHGCarf9x1r-6GIiaoPZwQZlMZLbWxdl9Wh_wXdskDOePq28h9i1F-4hIvv1p4qc94cLsWxzTy9wkhtGZaqhBmXxcs4sx-iY6CfO_n8/s1600/P4272347.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNnfb2ICkUyWECl75j4_zrjcQvCdVTdx-dV9h6-wHGCarf9x1r-6GIiaoPZwQZlMZLbWxdl9Wh_wXdskDOePq28h9i1F-4hIvv1p4qc94cLsWxzTy9wkhtGZaqhBmXxcs4sx-iY6CfO_n8/s200/P4272347.JPG" width="200" /></a>April brought a cool wet spring that put the trees almost two weeks behind last year (an exceptionally warm spring). April also brought a scramble to purchase the sprays and equipment I would need to make my first foray into organic apple production. A twenty-six gallon sprayer, a 19.5 horsepower used lawn tractor and lots of kaolin clay were among the purchases. Now in these final days of April, I have made my first application of sulfur and piled up most of the branches left strewn around the orchard from winter pruning. After an exceptional burst of April showers that will no doubt bring a plethora of may flowers, the rivers and streams are swollen and the ground saturated. Small ponds and mud abound in the orchard, making walking a messy business and getting around with any type of equipment almost impossible. <br />
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The early varieties have reached <i>Tight Cluster</i>, with the laggers still showing only a green tip. With scab season off to a wet start, the possibility of drier days ahead brings hope. The first plum in in full bloom, setting the stage for a symphony of pink and white which will grace the orchard in the coming weeks. </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHRYkAcJzu4Iv8J0INPtduRp-M6P3JyM_wIkR_1qshAhx5EW4cSLxfq_dOMNT2fAI9vrbAN7fYYloiYNt9paQFnxDEtzZztOZFga75KXk8hvTzMyybBQN2wS5Lp1Doaxin5GFQdZxFTf4V/s1600/P4272352.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHRYkAcJzu4Iv8J0INPtduRp-M6P3JyM_wIkR_1qshAhx5EW4cSLxfq_dOMNT2fAI9vrbAN7fYYloiYNt9paQFnxDEtzZztOZFga75KXk8hvTzMyybBQN2wS5Lp1Doaxin5GFQdZxFTf4V/s400/P4272352.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first plum blossoms</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx-iGhpLphdlcnKbYdeAt9V7ncjD8k7IcNKlcmk8sHiGZiEUphRVdpWVH9EUZM5CPrDlPujp3NaR9ClVcEERoaK7-wK02hWU33bHQVM5ljBvgOJA2jwzIu2xeh3JpAxAhkcbrTpo-MQfEq/s1600/P4272352.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04478527489060892621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-595283159652624998.post-5777079244656242612011-03-11T12:09:00.001-05:002011-03-11T18:26:47.959-05:00Jonny Appleseed<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Today is Johnny Appleseed day! An icon of American folklore, Johnny Appleseed, born John Chapman, played an integral role in the establishment of frontier communities, but also in the evolution of the apple in the New World. To understand Johnny Appleseed, it is first important to have a basic understanding of the <a href="http://appleharvester.blogspot.com/2010/03/apple-genetics.html">genetics of an apple</a> and the means by which they reproduce. Unlike modern-day orchards which are almost always established using grafted trees with known varieties, John Chapman sowed the seeds of diverse orchards and nurseries where no two apples where alike.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl8KRrV4bTo3hU0UIuOpSuCDvxvHUE_QyYzeZvpdQhSdp2t-MhnGJOfwxZY0M83uoBEVxod77w1r1MH_GC0vJFsDSframzZ5yPCcoBBmZD0l_XvALyt8DkCBzbrQeLB7qwrW75SF8YZuBg/s1600-h/JohnnyAppleseedHowe.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl8KRrV4bTo3hU0UIuOpSuCDvxvHUE_QyYzeZvpdQhSdp2t-MhnGJOfwxZY0M83uoBEVxod77w1r1MH_GC0vJFsDSframzZ5yPCcoBBmZD0l_XvALyt8DkCBzbrQeLB7qwrW75SF8YZuBg/s320/JohnnyAppleseedHowe.gif" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>John Chapman was born in 1774 in Leominster, Massachusetts. Historians know little about his childhood. They do know that he learned about apple growing as a young man, while working for a neighbor who owned an apple orchard. </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Around 1797, Chapman moved west. He gathered sacks full of apple seeds from cider mills in settled areas. Then he headed for the frontier, keeping just ahead of westbound pioneers. He begged, borrowed, bought, or rented land near creeks and rivers, then planted seeds there. He tended the seedlings until settlers arrived. Then he sold his seedlings or orchards and moved on. He kept this up for nearly 50 years. He started orchards in western New York and Pennsylvania as well as Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, and Illinois.</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Chapman spread not only apples, but also the teachings of a small Christian sect called the New Church. He opposed violence of all kinds. He got along well with Native Americans. He was a vegetarian. He lived frugally. He was extremely thin, went barefoot most of the time, and wore only discarded clothing. </i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Historians aren't sure exactly when Chapman died. It happened sometime in March 1845 in Fort Wayne, Indiana. His obituary in the March 22, 1845, Fort Wayne Sentinel reads in part: "The deceased was well-known throughout this region by his eccentricity, and strange garb. He is supposed to have considerable property, yet denied himself [...] the common necessities of life [...] He submitted to every privation with cheerfulness [...] believing that in so doing he was securing snug quarters hereafter."</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i> -- </i>From "The Writer's Almanac"<i> </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5YmypmM3P2wgWY0dF07P_7HrQc1J49X-l0NTpSP0xb1ojy8O2GwBsduGyPMCJyWW-1e0deQN1Ao-reAguW7Oczp3ukdsl5pmNpPh2kKQ7yrRolb5gkcV5Y6fpbLqlX06bGaVfsh7Z0WNc/s1600/Japple.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5YmypmM3P2wgWY0dF07P_7HrQc1J49X-l0NTpSP0xb1ojy8O2GwBsduGyPMCJyWW-1e0deQN1Ao-reAguW7Oczp3ukdsl5pmNpPh2kKQ7yrRolb5gkcV5Y6fpbLqlX06bGaVfsh7Z0WNc/s320/Japple.gif" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Although Johnny Appleseed takes on a largely mythological role in modern culture, the impacts of his work are very real. He saw every seed and every tree as valuable and worthy of existence. Although he may have taken a more spiritual approach to this appreciation, the genetic diversity found in his orchards had a very real biological significance. As we move towards large orchards with fewer and fewer varieties and the continued loss of many forgotten heirlooms, perhaps we could use another John Chapman. </div></div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04478527489060892621noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-595283159652624998.post-37144934528531219432011-01-30T12:38:00.000-05:002012-12-07T18:03:26.835-05:00Story of an Apple: Arkansas BlackArkansas Black is an heirloom apple that originated in Benton county, Arkansas. Quite possibly raised in the orchard of Mr. Brathwaite, the first fruit was harvested around the year 1870. In some cases Arkansas Black has erroneously been listed as identical to the variety simply known as Arkansas, due to the similarity in name and origin, when in fact the trees and fruit bear little resemblance to each other. Unlike the Arkansas, which is commonly accepted to be a seedling of Winesap, the parentage of Arkansas black is less certain although it is suggested that the Arkansas Black also has Winesap among it's ancestors. The name for the variety comes from the fruits deep red hue, which when ripe can appear almost black.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhedbfXPKVvH66zYGIXNLOwT0431ydnkOEJ1Kai3T8Eh8DIM7lUqEL6sxivMUt-GdelO_9bdnOnVznNDpW2TTXLNJ3OjSmVoSk2TnJYfR-382QUXzu1lwqQiJqyDWUBXReJ9rJhVI-B4kWH/s1600/P9031496.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhedbfXPKVvH66zYGIXNLOwT0431ydnkOEJ1Kai3T8Eh8DIM7lUqEL6sxivMUt-GdelO_9bdnOnVznNDpW2TTXLNJ3OjSmVoSk2TnJYfR-382QUXzu1lwqQiJqyDWUBXReJ9rJhVI-B4kWH/s400/P9031496.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arkansas Black, Cornell Orchards, taken beginning of September. Color becomes significantly darker prior to harvest in late October.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
S.A. Beach in <i>The Apples of New York </i>describes the Arkansas Black as "one of the most beautiful apples." He goes on to say, "It is a good keeper and commands a good price in market." The variety was a popular cultivar in parts of Arkansas and Missouri during the last part of the 19th century. During this period it is believed that Arkansas Black may have comprised up 10 to 15 percent of the apples grown in the state of Arkansas. In the first decades of the 20th century, Codling Moth infestations, drought and the economic decline of the Depression all took their toll on the Arkansas apple industry, which never recovered. Since then Arkansas Black has been grown in many regions of the united states, mostly in small quantities as an antique variety, used primarily for cooking and cider. More recently it has begun to make it's way into the commercial market. The other day I found it at my local food cooperative, the first time I have seen it for sale outside of an orchard or the farmer's market. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOeq_FABta8F3QqNW05Tr0AEY_eQJ9i93MFqXyotmMrywuOovRcHbe6rQDkV8ElaVh4gtWg9VPCUK-9D_VKnra_STbdegd1UAdCAhKUbLe2bkXzkUps6QdkifRFt4AjvcDBnd8b9jZyYVB/s1600/P9031494.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOeq_FABta8F3QqNW05Tr0AEY_eQJ9i93MFqXyotmMrywuOovRcHbe6rQDkV8ElaVh4gtWg9VPCUK-9D_VKnra_STbdegd1UAdCAhKUbLe2bkXzkUps6QdkifRFt4AjvcDBnd8b9jZyYVB/s400/P9031494.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
In the orchard the variety has shown some resistance to Apple Scab and Fireblight, as well as a strong resistance to Cedar Apple Rust. It is a good bearer, although a poor pollinator. It is harvested here in New York in late October or early November and will keep for many months in storage. Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04478527489060892621noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-595283159652624998.post-83585861054473474722011-01-05T09:32:00.000-05:002011-01-05T09:32:47.370-05:00Warmer Days Ahead<div style="text-align: left;"></div>The winter season is often a time to hunker down, do some good reading and thoughtful contemplation. Reflect on the year gone by and plan for the coming seasons. It is also a time to take a trip to warmer climates, for some of us lucky enough to find the time and means to to travel. For the next few weeks I will be taking a hiatus from the blog and from the blustery weather of central New York, to travel again to Mexico and Guatemala. To be honest, this hiatus may go largely unnoticed, being as I have not been as active in posting on my blog as I had imagined I would be in the slower winter months. My apologies.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1IfzzLMMN_vkX-F0iQaTjqrPQ1ffHN6K5iuBH0co6Wy9iI2OOeRR-bWd4WpLcnP9I5awpeK0ofZJXbMuqf9IdjvvwzQpFanW_6hfg3eYSBQcoz2qQ5QH9H_R-EkeXmhfNq1gHSlwVzMOU/s1600/PC261971.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1IfzzLMMN_vkX-F0iQaTjqrPQ1ffHN6K5iuBH0co6Wy9iI2OOeRR-bWd4WpLcnP9I5awpeK0ofZJXbMuqf9IdjvvwzQpFanW_6hfg3eYSBQcoz2qQ5QH9H_R-EkeXmhfNq1gHSlwVzMOU/s400/PC261971.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New York Winter</td></tr>
</tbody></table>In other news, I have been giving a lot of thought to the coming spring even if the days are still short and there are still apples in the cellar. I have been scheming with a few friends and planning a small orchard of sorts to be planted this coming spring on some land just outside of Ithaca. With the wheels in motion, I have ordered a small number of dwarfing and semi-dwarfing rootstocks on which I hope to graft my first apple trees. The whole process from the graft point up will be a huge learning experience. Much of it is still in the planning and researching stages, but I am still excited to think ahead to sloppy March thaws and May blossoms. Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04478527489060892621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-595283159652624998.post-37974689542912711502010-12-27T11:56:00.002-05:002010-12-27T12:03:38.265-05:00The Golden Apple Part III a.k.a. Goldrush<div style="text-align: right;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_yeqEKx5CfCKJjMU3XfGLEsYK0YU25EILFBRW79ra6iAtgSs_5JWeZtF-xggw4JaHtk2Fpt82BXlS5vamp0FGox4Qk-MjPO-oZ20XCxxw7ZvT-iq_zN9D9ngHERmszYU-R3W0Bc7IjnKB/s1600/PA251760.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_yeqEKx5CfCKJjMU3XfGLEsYK0YU25EILFBRW79ra6iAtgSs_5JWeZtF-xggw4JaHtk2Fpt82BXlS5vamp0FGox4Qk-MjPO-oZ20XCxxw7ZvT-iq_zN9D9ngHERmszYU-R3W0Bc7IjnKB/s400/PA251760.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">Unlike my first two posts about the golden apple, this is not a story of mythology, but rather one of a tangible fruit. The Goldrush apple is a product of nature, but also of science, more specifically of apple breeding, which has been the source of many new apple varieties over the past century. Unlike the <a href="http://appleharvester.blogspot.com/2010/04/story-of-apple-baldwin.html">Baldwin</a>, <a href="http://appleharvester.blogspot.com/2009/11/story-of-apple-mcintosh.html">McIntosh</a> or<a href="http://appleharvester.blogspot.com/2009/11/story-of-apple-mcintosh.html"> Red Delicious</a>, which all originated as chance seedlings, the Goldrush is the progeny of several existing varieties including <a href="http://appleharvester.blogspot.com/2010/03/story-of-apple-rome-beauty.html">Rome</a>, <a href="http://appleharvester.blogspot.com/2009/10/story-of-apple-golden-delicious.html">Golden Delicious</a> and a variety of crab apple, which were all intentionally crossed and recrossed over a series of generations to eventually yield what would become the Goldrush.</span> <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEO_7-5M_eDyagnDb38vSfhDRkKe4XrNVInd23nAPbcdl9nWBGoOCaUTramxm89YOmwgmzomLsS0qRPbuineo9_Sad_szdU8ZvHUvAlB0ZBcj7sN-D3RQk35OTvpvlhXfP0a-6j6l_b3pF/s1600/Goldrush1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Goldrush Family Tree from: http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/pri/coop38-3.html</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">All of these crosses were performed by the Purdue, Rutgers and Illinois (PRI) breeding program, </span><span style="font-size: small;">which developed the Goldrush as part of their ongoing attempt to breed scab resistant apple varieties.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfqKzeCBk0Jay8J74XEE_dGpg-oGCzPv2ipLgp-pILCc3Tp8SbEmQqO5bqgGP-2EPrtHXtTAKV4Y-4TGcu2rrx2jhM88yNAQBPeBKA2_HrLohzG-ZRmymoNwGSaTpxjkCuCzqpmOZgnDZe/s1600/PA251762.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfqKzeCBk0Jay8J74XEE_dGpg-oGCzPv2ipLgp-pILCc3Tp8SbEmQqO5bqgGP-2EPrtHXtTAKV4Y-4TGcu2rrx2jhM88yNAQBPeBKA2_HrLohzG-ZRmymoNwGSaTpxjkCuCzqpmOZgnDZe/s320/PA251762.JPG" width="132" /></a><span style="font-size: small;">Almost all of the varieties released by PRI under this breeding program, which include Enterprise, Redfree and Goldrush among others, contain a single scab resistant gene <i>V<sub>f</sub></i></span><span style="font-size: small;"> derived from <i>Malus floribunda</i>, </span><span style="font-size: small;">a species of crab apple. The original tree that bore what would become Goldrush apples was planted in 1973 on the Purdue Horticulture Research Farm in West Lafayette, Indiana. It was one of many trees that were planted with seeds resulting from a cross between a <a href="http://appleharvester.blogspot.com/2009/10/story-of-apple-golden-delicious.html">Golden Delicious</a> as the seed parent and a variety known as Co-op 17 as the pollen parent. Its official location on the farm was in block HE row 4, tree 16. In October 1980 the tree was selected for further testing under the name Co-op 38. Not until 1994 was the variety finally released to growers under the name Goldrush. </span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Because of it's scab resistance, Goldrush is a good variety for organic growers, who often struggle to control scab in varieties that do not have the built-in genetic resistance. I had not heard the name until this fall when I picked at Cornell Orchards. During conversations about the picking season, Goldrush would often be mentioned as the variety that marked the end of the season, the final apple to be picked, often in the cold, sometimes snowy days of early November. Like many late season apples, Goldrush are particularly good keepers, often needing additional time in storage to fully ripen. In fact, several people I have spoken to, do not recommend biting into a Goldrush until at least a month after they have been picked.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifJYx4Z7b9ViKoTXNNQdoX0zWdmn2FFcG8opZR5MLWN4CDfxAhVJz2HkOLVR8jOMeWuLddxqOHpV3ERO0aWZUqXLZEOi19qCAGk9mGowo4w0JY51KmIlsn_t0VXuQzY0XghV8_b7DJZEJM/s1600/PA251763.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifJYx4Z7b9ViKoTXNNQdoX0zWdmn2FFcG8opZR5MLWN4CDfxAhVJz2HkOLVR8jOMeWuLddxqOHpV3ERO0aWZUqXLZEOi19qCAGk9mGowo4w0JY51KmIlsn_t0VXuQzY0XghV8_b7DJZEJM/s320/PA251763.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I chose them as one of a few varieties to store in my basement for the winter months. My basement, although cooler than the house, is not a true cellar by any stretch of the imagination. I have found it takes truly good keepers to stand the test of time with my storage methods. Today I dug out a Goldrush to test the flavor and texture. Although it was slightly soft to the touch, when cut open the texture of the flesh was firm and amazingly crisp with no mealiness. It tasted strikingly sweet, yet there was a distinct zing hidden in the complex flavors. Of the storage varieties I have encountered this is one of my favorites. We will see how it holds up in February or March, but for now I can say this apple excited my taste buds and added a little sweetness to a cold and very snowy December day. </span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04478527489060892621noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-595283159652624998.post-19703165141054992232010-12-12T10:42:00.001-05:002010-12-13T23:15:56.524-05:00First Snow<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitul88my0KmuP8KXcdeVa-gnfotDvwI9HMOaG4q9n5qu-l8499qIgcwnS_HHIPAiD7s1KnfNZrFWdAqd-OBt5p9ecROMf3_eD_QZ0saAezqjPLF86nuIYIryzK54JaAEWtpEJ-VbcgjgDG/s1600/PC071837.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitul88my0KmuP8KXcdeVa-gnfotDvwI9HMOaG4q9n5qu-l8499qIgcwnS_HHIPAiD7s1KnfNZrFWdAqd-OBt5p9ecROMf3_eD_QZ0saAezqjPLF86nuIYIryzK54JaAEWtpEJ-VbcgjgDG/s400/PC071837.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Winter's first snow is always a thing of excitement for me. Like the sight of the first Robin or the taste of my first apple, I feel as though it serves to mark the season. This past week the flurries and flakes flew in the Finger Lakes region, blanketing the ground with a dusting some places and up to a few feet in others. <br />
After a few weeks back in Wisconsin for an extended Thanksgiving visit with family and friends, I returned to Ithaca last weekend. With flurries in the air this past week, I also returned to the orchard to help with some fencing work. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLbl7VvjA19jZmLgfz5MBbYDm0Xn0rPapBBunjOiIBTKuX_baG0LCDmTB3GiHJJnqFQVfTT5L4qvP90m-g4i4srNIjT_0PmBDseexJ-PQAk7XbjzjNV8T1_7bVXkQYmjdpWtduqM2UNDbl/s1600/PC071839.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLbl7VvjA19jZmLgfz5MBbYDm0Xn0rPapBBunjOiIBTKuX_baG0LCDmTB3GiHJJnqFQVfTT5L4qvP90m-g4i4srNIjT_0PmBDseexJ-PQAk7XbjzjNV8T1_7bVXkQYmjdpWtduqM2UNDbl/s320/PC071839.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Slowly, over the past several years, the orchard has been replacing the archaic chain-link fence that has surrounded the Lansing orchard since before the first trees were planted. November and December are usually the only months slow enough at the orchard to allow for time to build the fence and that is only if there is not too much snow on the ground to prevent the tractors to from getting around the orchard.<br />
So this week, with highs only in the mid-twenties, I dug out my long underwear and fleece-line boots and headed out to the fence line.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvkHG_aICwqDZNAu64HQnu0pP5qZSZHP3VbQVAtwZgVEo-xrVxJKWHZg_5MRTUvBK_W2sjlT2qUp6CtntSyy-6OsmU4GshYGG0ywYVXWutcYxOAxaHXEi9OOF3n8fkem5WAf_jFEPxsx6O/s1600/PC071831.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvkHG_aICwqDZNAu64HQnu0pP5qZSZHP3VbQVAtwZgVEo-xrVxJKWHZg_5MRTUvBK_W2sjlT2qUp6CtntSyy-6OsmU4GshYGG0ywYVXWutcYxOAxaHXEi9OOF3n8fkem5WAf_jFEPxsx6O/s320/PC071831.JPG" width="174" /></a>The trees in the orchard are almost all bare. Here and there a few leaves still cling, mostly on the later varieties like the Ida Red and Gold Rush. The trees left naked, dozing off for their winter sleep, appear so much smaller than they did in their full regalia. Those that seemed to tower above you in October now have a more modest reach towards the sky. The fallen, half rotten apples still show their rosy cheeks through the dusting of snow upon the ground. The apples missed by the picking crew, those camouflaged by the leaves, now hang like forgotten ornaments on the tree. The Golden Delicious, which were so well hidden a few months ago now stand out in stark contrast to the dark branches and snow the flies through the air and blankets the ground.<br />
Building fence is not something that can be rushed. Stretching three hundred and thirty feet of ten-foot tall wire mesh, requires close attention to detail in order to maintain proper tension and work out any kinks that form as the fence conforms to the contours of the land. The key is finding ways to keep warm, moving as much a possible. Taking breaks for a cup of tea or hot chocolate never hurts either.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp_Hg59tSlSYffDGoha22h6Mlnus-agxR3-pQsqIrbfHxg72w0MW8AxT1AXlP_9K8Y4rzw9yZtJN4PFDdAuDiaFMbTK9Goo1Km-TCwkDBUTFD1Hmq2A3sc3ckwO1e0hTJjLfUG8lWRasW2/s1600/PC071835.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp_Hg59tSlSYffDGoha22h6Mlnus-agxR3-pQsqIrbfHxg72w0MW8AxT1AXlP_9K8Y4rzw9yZtJN4PFDdAuDiaFMbTK9Goo1Km-TCwkDBUTFD1Hmq2A3sc3ckwO1e0hTJjLfUG8lWRasW2/s400/PC071835.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04478527489060892621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-595283159652624998.post-751321596630161412010-11-14T11:29:00.000-05:002010-11-14T11:29:34.580-05:00After Apple Picking<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ZMObMqeE4r6cqYwYkNbZQVhwrXrhS7hfe5W7iU_6Nt2s0JQA2guwnT8lMytO66SBBWUT75aBdIJAUMuFrh0vvMlK8Vns8Zgjg_Ew_IgkV1uTdsh9EPtG8x_vU4RjhzSACNOLgvDJNHle/s1600/PB091815.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ZMObMqeE4r6cqYwYkNbZQVhwrXrhS7hfe5W7iU_6Nt2s0JQA2guwnT8lMytO66SBBWUT75aBdIJAUMuFrh0vvMlK8Vns8Zgjg_Ew_IgkV1uTdsh9EPtG8x_vU4RjhzSACNOLgvDJNHle/s1600/PB091815.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ZMObMqeE4r6cqYwYkNbZQVhwrXrhS7hfe5W7iU_6Nt2s0JQA2guwnT8lMytO66SBBWUT75aBdIJAUMuFrh0vvMlK8Vns8Zgjg_Ew_IgkV1uTdsh9EPtG8x_vU4RjhzSACNOLgvDJNHle/s400/PB091815.JPG" width="400" /></a><i> </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>My long two-pointed ladder's sticking through a tree<br />
Toward heaven still,<br />
And there's a barrel that I didn't fill<br />
Beside it, and there may be two or three<br />
Apples I didn't pick upon some bough.<br />
But I am done with apple-picking now.<br />
Essence of winter sleep is on the night,<br />
The scent of apples: I am drowsing off.<br />
I cannot rub the strangeness from my sight<br />
I got from looking through a pane of glass<br />
I skimmed this morning from the drinking trough<br />
And held against the world of hoary grass.<br />
It melted, and I let it fall and break.<br />
But I was well<br />
Upon my way to sleep before it fell,<br />
And I could tell<br />
What form my dreaming was about to take.<br />
Magnified apples appear and disappear,<br />
Stem end and blossom end,<br />
And every fleck of russet showing clear.<br />
My instep arch not only keeps the ache,<br />
It keeps the pressure of a ladder-round.<br />
I feel the ladder sway as the boughs bend.</i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr0cpK2fgyZR2M_kEjVu-AWuT3bUsmUbUjq-9CqsQGEJGqgnQPWG7eimuBK9mTcsYFblCT3TR5BWDbTxLCD46GD_FKkGIRnkIa0oNOsPg8OsQCvgGV8EHAJiWqU8-rJLkqOipUsyMhKr6e/s1600/PB091801.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ZMObMqeE4r6cqYwYkNbZQVhwrXrhS7hfe5W7iU_6Nt2s0JQA2guwnT8lMytO66SBBWUT75aBdIJAUMuFrh0vvMlK8Vns8Zgjg_Ew_IgkV1uTdsh9EPtG8x_vU4RjhzSACNOLgvDJNHle/s1600/PB091815.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr0cpK2fgyZR2M_kEjVu-AWuT3bUsmUbUjq-9CqsQGEJGqgnQPWG7eimuBK9mTcsYFblCT3TR5BWDbTxLCD46GD_FKkGIRnkIa0oNOsPg8OsQCvgGV8EHAJiWqU8-rJLkqOipUsyMhKr6e/s1600/PB091801.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr0cpK2fgyZR2M_kEjVu-AWuT3bUsmUbUjq-9CqsQGEJGqgnQPWG7eimuBK9mTcsYFblCT3TR5BWDbTxLCD46GD_FKkGIRnkIa0oNOsPg8OsQCvgGV8EHAJiWqU8-rJLkqOipUsyMhKr6e/s400/PB091801.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>And I keep hearing from the cellar bin<br />
The rumbling sound<br />
Of load on load of apples coming in.<br />
For I have had too much<br />
Of apple-picking: I am overtired<br />
Of the great harvest I myself desired.<br />
There were ten thousand thousand fruit to touch,<br />
Cherish in hand, lift down, and not let fall.<br />
For all<br />
That struck the earth,<br />
No matter if not bruised or spiked with stubble,<br />
Went surely to the cider-apple heap<br />
As of no worth.<br />
One can see what will trouble<br />
This sleep of mine, whatever sleep it is.<br />
Were he not gone,<br />
The woodchuck could say whether it's like his<br />
Long sleep, as I describe its coming on,<br />
Or just some human sleep.</i> </div><div style="text-align: right;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"> -Robert Frost<br />
</div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04478527489060892621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-595283159652624998.post-27966431100757960442010-11-08T21:16:00.000-05:002010-11-08T21:16:50.267-05:00Post Harvest Clean-up<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaMRPXP7YfMchoXeFTqfzyDfJjyGDY0L5wQDSwLc-KO6pJQEhJCO1rTr3EMPeqiCZFKRvUpVWydCsa5pxPktVZp8dlg5FUxQjpeo2ChAC0O8n84d2-Fs1k-9fV4mmkPsWC2Hawe7Cn6JNm/s1600/PA291792.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaMRPXP7YfMchoXeFTqfzyDfJjyGDY0L5wQDSwLc-KO6pJQEhJCO1rTr3EMPeqiCZFKRvUpVWydCsa5pxPktVZp8dlg5FUxQjpeo2ChAC0O8n84d2-Fs1k-9fV4mmkPsWC2Hawe7Cn6JNm/s320/PA291792.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Henry David Thoreau wrote in his book <i>Wild Apples</i> a simple yet bold sentence: "All apples are good in November." In the past week I have had many opportunities to test this assertion. We are in the midst of the post-harvest clean-up of the orchard, raking apples, cutting suckers and mowing weeds and high grasses. This tidying of the orchard has allowed me to glean those hidden apples of all varieties and after a great deal of sampling I would have to say I respectfully disagree with Mr. Thoreau. Perhaps Thoreau was not graced with the pleasure of biting into a McIntosh that has defied the laws of gravity since mid-September. Some varieties, those picked only a few weeks prior, give to the pallet a sensation very similiar to the flavor and texture they had the day I picked them. Others seem only to worsen with age, becoming soft, mealy and in some cases overly sweet. There are those however that when bitten into have a taste that seems only possible this time of year. For this apple, I must wholeheartedly agree with Thoreau when he says the November air "is the sauce it is to be eaten with.' <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitv6J0mRdPV5uZ_EOhy9pb3xFsZYWGFErx-Q8sq3_MOaZL6D7GOqPyIqkQ81ASZG3yAzjXXNZJRdkajMnDl7r7BFhH42ViOaGXq0S-rJlILPUxfqau_lyBBD4lYCS-Ahclw_JPsMsAw1Ix/s1600/PA291788.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitv6J0mRdPV5uZ_EOhy9pb3xFsZYWGFErx-Q8sq3_MOaZL6D7GOqPyIqkQ81ASZG3yAzjXXNZJRdkajMnDl7r7BFhH42ViOaGXq0S-rJlILPUxfqau_lyBBD4lYCS-Ahclw_JPsMsAw1Ix/s200/PA291788.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDLRSiJxBBBsbviXrA-OhdElyJz6KDjMn_bxfGV70RBK5KS0JmRCNHB3ybsjO6hNAMCVbrhaVvQURxpzjZ287M1bAvXLn7B8gGWrCkTF6ap40VdoOhvXw9jZ3V-yFDjqATC6LWl6WssZPq/s1600/PA291789.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDLRSiJxBBBsbviXrA-OhdElyJz6KDjMn_bxfGV70RBK5KS0JmRCNHB3ybsjO6hNAMCVbrhaVvQURxpzjZ287M1bAvXLn7B8gGWrCkTF6ap40VdoOhvXw9jZ3V-yFDjqATC6LWl6WssZPq/s320/PA291789.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The days are colder, but still of an enjoyable temperature to work in. The key I have found is to dress in layers, which can be peeled off as the body and the day begin to warm. Many of the apple trees have begun to turn in color, most to various shades of yellow and gold, a few to orange or even a deep crimson. <br />
Putting the orchard to bed is hard but satisfying work. In some ways raking the apples out from under the trees feels much more physically strenuous than picking the fruit. The job is messy with apples being crushed under foot and the sent of fermenting fruit in the nostrils. As a crew we slowly make our way up and down each row. Some varieties leave little work to be done, with only an apple here or there to be found, others have yellow and red carpets under them. This is a part of the harvest season I have never been a part of before, but I am greatful to learn what goes into preparing the orchard for winter. It is a good reminder that the work does not end when the apples are off the trees. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD3CFcog-w3sCj6bw9yPmau7TV6ImsdYuLHfgK8HuV2u_OXwiZcTvlk_ayg8cN3sxPnSvVrCXQNLMh63sRpfVbQuN5dB15GoPYYESTQ6OC4j0KD0pKCrJGSz7GsPLDtpF85LhYt4mSM3qj/s1600/PA291784.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD3CFcog-w3sCj6bw9yPmau7TV6ImsdYuLHfgK8HuV2u_OXwiZcTvlk_ayg8cN3sxPnSvVrCXQNLMh63sRpfVbQuN5dB15GoPYYESTQ6OC4j0KD0pKCrJGSz7GsPLDtpF85LhYt4mSM3qj/s400/PA291784.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Raked apples</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04478527489060892621noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-595283159652624998.post-88397603655407883882010-10-31T10:05:00.000-04:002010-10-31T10:05:11.336-04:00Apple picking day 43: The Last Apple<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKAM-AZBfH4in5QO72lfuYhU1UahKVaVvE2H1vYm7Vc3aer5xFhONWBEwoD8D-5R8RaFid4IdrWfd91XMOhGvCKg_4HX7bUhEZ7awKb_DR3-E6sdhOdrY79Ou3DYFbf78clU_qmt_VMkBP/s320/PA251758.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Goldrush</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKAM-AZBfH4in5QO72lfuYhU1UahKVaVvE2H1vYm7Vc3aer5xFhONWBEwoD8D-5R8RaFid4IdrWfd91XMOhGvCKg_4HX7bUhEZ7awKb_DR3-E6sdhOdrY79Ou3DYFbf78clU_qmt_VMkBP/s1600/PA251758.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>As I near the end of a picking season I always find myself experiencing a mixture of sadness and relief. Sadness that the season and work I love is coming to an end and relief that my body will soon get some much needed time to rest and heal from the strenuous days of picking. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaJks2JlB_toMbaBth1IvtIn3D4v37lGjyrlWdjSnpeDgSJ2iwFkinDi9R4SFW2hAISWOk-vTnaVfzU89plrm5yW-pdS88LeC15y2nlX-BS2QiHzQnMjxymh5EylcJqdfl8h9gq3lOBWy8/s1600/PA251765.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div>As the final day nears, I often think about the last apple of the season. What variety will it be? What part of the orchard will it be in? Will I know it is the last apple of the season? I suppose I never really remember my last apple after the fact. There is no ceremony to it, but somehow the last day of picking does take on a special meaning.<br />
The first part of the past week we spent in the Fuji, some of the longest rows in the orchard that seemed to stretch on and on, compelling you to glance down to the end of the row each time you dumped your bucket, past the empty bins waiting to be filled. Although there were only three rows, the crop was heavy and it took three of us several days to pick the trees clean. By Wednesday all that was left in the orchard was the Goldrush and a few cider apples. <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaJks2JlB_toMbaBth1IvtIn3D4v37lGjyrlWdjSnpeDgSJ2iwFkinDi9R4SFW2hAISWOk-vTnaVfzU89plrm5yW-pdS88LeC15y2nlX-BS2QiHzQnMjxymh5EylcJqdfl8h9gq3lOBWy8/s320/PA251765.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="240" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bins lined-up in the Fuji</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The day was warm, in the high seventies and in many ways it felt much more like the first day of picking rather than the last. It was not the cold windy November day that I envisioned picking the Goldrush in. It was, none the less, very pleasant and the bare trees of the surrounding forest, the honking of the geese overhead and the golden leaves of the Goldrush trees were a sufficient reminder of the season. <br />
The pace of the day felt slower than most. We worked steadily, but it felt as though there was no rush to reach the inevitable. Instead I felt a desire to savor the final moments of a long season. Taking the time to sit under the trees and share a lunch with fellow pickers or pause at the top of a ladder to take in the view of the lake and the maples as they let loose their final leaves, leaving the stage to the red and russet oaks. <br />
Although the crew was spread out for most of the day in different parts of the orchard picking a few remaining cider apples and beginning clean-up, we all converged in the last of the Goldrush by the end of the day. Call me sentimental, but it felt rather symbolic to have the entire crew share in the last of the harvest. As I walked away from the trees I felt many things, but mostly a sense of gratitude for the harvest and for the opportunity to partake in such noble work. As the last of the bins were loaded onto the truck to be hauled back to the orchard, I took comfort in knowing there will always be another season.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjibdH2zHLTMca9X06OpHBom50criywjDrnurxy9e3lc1w-7E1wnS-bCDiUTMPg31iSYNu-bKht-LCWwDF4faktIpudfHQwQbUPp4C2BKVqVtFud1LAhjWNaXG9IgPgOzYS4bwCBHerEbng/s400/PA271779.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The last load of apples for the season</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjibdH2zHLTMca9X06OpHBom50criywjDrnurxy9e3lc1w-7E1wnS-bCDiUTMPg31iSYNu-bKht-LCWwDF4faktIpudfHQwQbUPp4C2BKVqVtFud1LAhjWNaXG9IgPgOzYS4bwCBHerEbng/s1600/PA271779.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>Although the picking is over there is still a lot to do in the orchard to prepare it for winter. The apples have to be raked out from under the trees, all the suckers cut and the isles between the trees mowed. This work should take another few weeks, time I will be happy to spend among the trees.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZGQkzZIDcluqFgBuECH0n1R8mIpbFyBKaeTYQaorrjGcmixK1M8oSBZSBxuJ6593ayX0w7svFCuih1lnhvE0EnP7Bv16I8-_hC-Yx6_vffWyOloIWG3Hn7MLVnXa2RnqGP_rR2hcsb3cY/s400/PA261771.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Goldrush on the last morning of picking</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZGQkzZIDcluqFgBuECH0n1R8mIpbFyBKaeTYQaorrjGcmixK1M8oSBZSBxuJ6593ayX0w7svFCuih1lnhvE0EnP7Bv16I8-_hC-Yx6_vffWyOloIWG3Hn7MLVnXa2RnqGP_rR2hcsb3cY/s1600/PA261771.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04478527489060892621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-595283159652624998.post-35932031124071234292010-10-20T00:36:00.002-04:002010-10-22T00:01:21.765-04:00Picking Day 37: Geese<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJGozD1N-fLx7Tsn7lEv2ynl-5fB0pzl0UV3gwZzY9DCRj-cp63FngzaicAcmwxvJDNGEID_korXHpXKD8eq4whAnInDqKD8DZx1AJGa1ovqijoU5EvO7vQzSSNVSjqN94MR1Q6Q-cECqM/s320/PA171714.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I walked in the door tonight with my hands full of cider, a jar of grape jelly from a co-worker and a picking bucket of heirloom apples. It was one of those moments where it struck me how wonderful the season is and how lucky I am to be blessed with such work. The end of the day is my favorite time, especially when my hands are callused and my feet sore.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBaTiCWSlqbqDZuk3FnSVp6QPRTo1YGBXEegj6_q5FBoVEYorFI-7-cxDamPpCHNSxP-nvS9ii1v7dcI4ggkg_wyCuQ06_dhJUsaD2kYP6oxpDX86wq06GxVycdZaHMMZ9R5cqZxkjkC55/s400/PA181720.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Morning in the Goldens</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBaTiCWSlqbqDZuk3FnSVp6QPRTo1YGBXEegj6_q5FBoVEYorFI-7-cxDamPpCHNSxP-nvS9ii1v7dcI4ggkg_wyCuQ06_dhJUsaD2kYP6oxpDX86wq06GxVycdZaHMMZ9R5cqZxkjkC55/s1600/PA181720.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>Geese few over my head many times today, rounding up any last stragglers as they make there journey south. One small V would fly over, than a few minutes later a larger one would appear from the direction in which the first disappeared. There is talk of snow, although I have my doubts.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz7kW-TzWpOCjrX99VnkWdeztXyQFQ3yWLMlWdR5fhmirQJg9s4r_tl3XR_mEdW4FTjXvdKxDKlaNvLN9quZG1OLLnQboLTL2pgTznkC1DPJfipFaAOhP2_cCjktMU840nix9xLiD3Ji0b/s1600/PA181727.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz7kW-TzWpOCjrX99VnkWdeztXyQFQ3yWLMlWdR5fhmirQJg9s4r_tl3XR_mEdW4FTjXvdKxDKlaNvLN9quZG1OLLnQboLTL2pgTznkC1DPJfipFaAOhP2_cCjktMU840nix9xLiD3Ji0b/s320/PA181727.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Romes</td></tr>
</tbody></table>We picked the last of the Golden Delicious this morning. It started out cold and wet, the hands numb, not wanting to grip the apples. I could see my breath as I filled my first bin. Without much warning the sun broke through, striking the apples in such a way they almost seemed to glow. By mid-morning we moved on to Cameos and then Romes and few last Jonagolds. We fished the day picking a couple bins of Ida Reds, which seemed to be some of the largest apples in the whole orchard. Unfortunately there are only three short rows of them and before we know it they will be gone. <br />
Most of the maples have lost their color, although one outside my living-room window is still stuck in mid-summer. The oaks still have awhile, as do the apple trees, which almost always seem to stay green long after the woods around them have turned.Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04478527489060892621noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-595283159652624998.post-65321744296102191052010-10-14T07:03:00.002-04:002010-10-16T00:26:47.637-04:00Apple Picking Day 31: Shorter Days and Cold Nights<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZCQoVtYfPSHlY4sfrK1Nd06NskfixigyZZY4MmNBzbovTRX3Zdro6NJMrXpG04fz23W-kuAxZZOoFRDh7EEnrBpB2mSQcZ319RL9ol0Kms5mXFwP53pVp-9Sd0Mz2InUJXKwPr4skpAPe/s1600/PA121710.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfO_sbWzlDvcoVbo-Mo-4wTm35zqVFqWskN3dpuv2Ihw8zymQ1Ahg5JfFDI0qVqFxtotGdqiRpRDbqPiPVivw36emePz3bFDzbooHWlDsjiDP6OVfm5pRYT3G7Y9FC5482LogrNnDBf3wE/s400/PA121710.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ida Red</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfO_sbWzlDvcoVbo-Mo-4wTm35zqVFqWskN3dpuv2Ihw8zymQ1Ahg5JfFDI0qVqFxtotGdqiRpRDbqPiPVivw36emePz3bFDzbooHWlDsjiDP6OVfm5pRYT3G7Y9FC5482LogrNnDBf3wE/s1600/PA121710.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>The nights have been getting colder, bringing out the reds and yellows in the maples, making some of them almost neon. Frost is still to come here in the Ithaca Valley, but up at the orchard the grass was coated in the first frost of the season this morning, creating a shimmering silver blanket as the long rays of the early morning sun brushed across it. The Golden Delicious were cold to the touch this morning, making the hands partially numb for the first hour of picking. By mid-morning the sweater was peeled off and my lunch I was in a t-shirt, welcoming the rays of what I might consider an almost perfect October day. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwemATdkcwURJoIGR8ygBYZ-4ZBuFiDKyqwZbI8NwYDc457r7dQBFWszdIlBWdA_qG5-CGVZ-SuN-4R7imcXFY-m-xGiMghQ9vQHBiC3QFoGLxjYFmYaUEDkYhmKKdOVHHqqEZjCNqvBr4/s400/PA121706.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Golden Delicious</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwemATdkcwURJoIGR8ygBYZ-4ZBuFiDKyqwZbI8NwYDc457r7dQBFWszdIlBWdA_qG5-CGVZ-SuN-4R7imcXFY-m-xGiMghQ9vQHBiC3QFoGLxjYFmYaUEDkYhmKKdOVHHqqEZjCNqvBr4/s1600/PA121706.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>After a morning in the Golden Delicious, we moved into the two rows of Ida Red. They were big and easy to see compared to the Golden Delicious and Mutsu which have a habit of hiding in the thick foliage. Picking the Idas always marks a turn toward the end of the season. With only a week or a little more of picking left, the orchard is beginning to look bare.<br />
We finished the Mutsu yesterday, picking the last of the softball size fruit felt like a bit of a letdown, but there was also a satisfying sense of accomplishment as we enter the last push to get in the the harvest before it falls off the trees. Although many are on the ground, there is still a good number of empires left on the trees, probably most of a days work. There are still more Golden Delicious, Fuji, Rome and of course Gold Rush left to pick as well. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpCg6VF7o01FzJAszGzDI71p4-ISLsQGwiUfx1DPYPJ3qc54pl-F2gHIhxjTbOphUh2a0OSuTOI3y6l6xo-UxBGQ0-f0xAN_-HW2DrL94muz1d7R4avUk1RacL4KG5YxfTufUFr3yGCPxe/s320/PA071688.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roxbury Russet</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpCg6VF7o01FzJAszGzDI71p4-ISLsQGwiUfx1DPYPJ3qc54pl-F2gHIhxjTbOphUh2a0OSuTOI3y6l6xo-UxBGQ0-f0xAN_-HW2DrL94muz1d7R4avUk1RacL4KG5YxfTufUFr3yGCPxe/s1600/PA071688.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7n9KwESrsldtDyFOlaOxC27iqPO03L5EMrF0NIFfDwx7KMwtdG-j-q_y0QR-pbF8rTYobrDhJW1QFyUbobknruB2xmyGmWE6XwE2IxBNQSuJlq5WnkbX00aIDRkH4lm4CaiCl4kiuB3wM/s320/PA101699.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Northern Spy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The Northern Spy where picked at the end of last week a long with all but a smattering of Jonagolds. Fortunes also came in off the trees as did a few of the heirloom varieties including the Roxbury Russet. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7n9KwESrsldtDyFOlaOxC27iqPO03L5EMrF0NIFfDwx7KMwtdG-j-q_y0QR-pbF8rTYobrDhJW1QFyUbobknruB2xmyGmWE6XwE2IxBNQSuJlq5WnkbX00aIDRkH4lm4CaiCl4kiuB3wM/s1600/PA101699.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9oVFYkdTHYjozkEEPbxI50RwK-hDLj007r9ij_czdKC1wkJEpUijAlfODlNzEOW6CMzVjLiL3aKLncIma16QuSyMdrfLwN4VXtM63mf1VKRfQiaslDt8Oxcp37Zg_naGzwwyvgcZK4J2v/s1600/PA101701.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6MjiDeaJ9r25NCeBg_BEFWa9LmxdlZkJZ491W7_wb-CXwk8DBfleTL5cf5amXf7z6KfnfD4i8T6t2B2avW_A6XddEqia66cEUj6yODrjwZ21_PIKZqcH8YbuqVwYpYKMU5yHEn-KH46Hd/s1600/PA071692.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFvJEvTOoowiA5cvcFIXkMnOApQxGafNBj_Hlqtxuvm69TknAajUxnE9EFY6PuoXOR27FTeXVE_gj2XdJP_10zc8rspp7VkZh80Sz-wyDHlhcCLixO7eyEHZKAJDrLtbvFxh1hxArPa-n1/s400/PA071692.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jonagold</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFvJEvTOoowiA5cvcFIXkMnOApQxGafNBj_Hlqtxuvm69TknAajUxnE9EFY6PuoXOR27FTeXVE_gj2XdJP_10zc8rspp7VkZh80Sz-wyDHlhcCLixO7eyEHZKAJDrLtbvFxh1hxArPa-n1/s1600/PA071692.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div> This is the kind of fall weather I like, the late afternoons are cool, the mornings chilly and the colors of the maples are absolutely exquisite. Each apple that falls to the ground or is placed in my picking bucket is a reminder of the fleeting nature of the season. I begin to find a comfort in the sight of a tree that still has apples on it, but I also have an all to keen awareness that this harvest season, like all others will end. What a wonderful reason to enjoy every day that is left. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2B1r9lBqc-eb3ozl6s11qtaxawwGML5KzWmvDQtuHR2-SRvuESRbXtq5VsCj7dH70zwmWq75W0AsKLemIBBaGwKFPHsM-zFEF54X05Az6B0s7YTVlVjTDf-_7YaeH-dO3DiSEm4yXrSfM/s400/PA071696.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the Mutsu</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2B1r9lBqc-eb3ozl6s11qtaxawwGML5KzWmvDQtuHR2-SRvuESRbXtq5VsCj7dH70zwmWq75W0AsKLemIBBaGwKFPHsM-zFEF54X05Az6B0s7YTVlVjTDf-_7YaeH-dO3DiSEm4yXrSfM/s1600/PA071696.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04478527489060892621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-595283159652624998.post-79251685043076335742010-10-07T18:56:00.002-04:002010-10-16T00:29:59.332-04:00Apple Picking Day 23: Pressing Cider<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmJ1Kqg8SKJdY_NWeLwSzxsEu55WmwnyRlQGSy0EeXYz6drsihOYmWJCLUVsLngQPLUt4GD_ZEM6jeJfcHU9Rd5T4nZdFr58RTLF3lOLMjGjPB9BIKoU_JFm7ZRe2bPKCfyOJCZ-MnsUks/s1600/P9291663.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmJ1Kqg8SKJdY_NWeLwSzxsEu55WmwnyRlQGSy0EeXYz6drsihOYmWJCLUVsLngQPLUt4GD_ZEM6jeJfcHU9Rd5T4nZdFr58RTLF3lOLMjGjPB9BIKoU_JFm7ZRe2bPKCfyOJCZ-MnsUks/s400/P9291663.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>For the past week were were in the midst of typical Ithaca weather -rain. Several days last week were rained out and the first part of this week was not much different. Usually we do not pick in the rain since the moisture makes the apples softer and easier to bruise. It also makes the ladders treacherous and any slope becomes a little more challenging for a tractor hauling a half-ton bin of apples.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOKPhQIN_pwYgJjOf8wO9HjdP3f8ftkbDAgHIHjRfP1FXBxRhtQV1osVKa0VLF22Moj-IWOOXuNq4JruTIrogYlQXyqXJNi2nBljiRWzfqawbTo4qiOZ0oIBOH4ZOdGB-CLBM9mJXLaP1K/s320/P9291660.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="240" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sorting table</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Last Thursday we enjoyed the remnants of Tropical Storm Nicole which dumped upwards of five inches of rain on most the area. With little work to be done outdoors, most of the crew found work in the shed sorting apples, making grape juice or pressing cider. I was lucky enough to take part in the latter.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZAODdRnoq1NUfVXOFqDcAtH4twd59UaKhdnCBdcD9vJrsHHWTy7el-41Yr7NpWNQYyR4sZz0GiTdkrpMA59Q6mpMQkYH-k6vLdHHwHOOyosOSUiq5tl_8HcG0swA9VVwOh5PxZyEyNyqB/s320/P9291654.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="240" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apple on their way to the grinder</td></tr>
</tbody></table><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZAODdRnoq1NUfVXOFqDcAtH4twd59UaKhdnCBdcD9vJrsHHWTy7el-41Yr7NpWNQYyR4sZz0GiTdkrpMA59Q6mpMQkYH-k6vLdHHwHOOyosOSUiq5tl_8HcG0swA9VVwOh5PxZyEyNyqB/s1600/P9291654.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOKPhQIN_pwYgJjOf8wO9HjdP3f8ftkbDAgHIHjRfP1FXBxRhtQV1osVKa0VLF22Moj-IWOOXuNq4JruTIrogYlQXyqXJNi2nBljiRWzfqawbTo4qiOZ0oIBOH4ZOdGB-CLBM9mJXLaP1K/s1600/P9291660.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>The cider room is a rather small room attached to the rest of the shed with a few not so complicated looking pieces of machinery. It has a cement floor and every thing is washable with hoses, making for easy clean-up. The apples are first dumped from a bin unto a conveyor belt where any rotten or bird-pecked apples are sorted out. This was my task for most of the day and although it was nothing glorious, I found it very enjoyable and felt lucky to be dry on a such a day, even if it meant trading my picking bucket for a sticky apron and earplugs.<br />
From the conveyor belt the apples go through a washer which gets off any grime, such as the remnants of the aforementioned rotten apples. From there they go into a hopper where they are taken up a second conveyor and dropped into a grinder. Once ground they are taken via a vacuum pump through a hose to the pressing table where the slury is deposited in layers. Each later is wrapped in a poris cloth and separated by a sheet of plastic. As soon as the layers start to grow cider begins to drip like sweet nectar out of the lower layers from the weight of the ones above. The stack will continue to grow until it reaches about twenty layers, at which point it starts to sway a bit. At this point it is rolled onto a hydraulic press and slowly squeezed. The cider drips into troughs and then is pumped into a tanker truck outside. Each stack contains roughly thirty-five bushels of apples and will yield around one hundred gallons of cider.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbNVjr6V0s6590D0tjvkoxtHFfj6rz_xRbYV5dUwPi7G2vp2r-yVZySkmAazqikF9m_dzXisZ-M8MZl2HMvlo8KhLFHy1J5qP3qEymyIQCsFUm-NszCDBlqVyZF5adELaCuyMjBUiyLPbQ/s400/P9291658.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The stack before pressing<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaDSOjFiI6pU3m_-MKSj4vT2jICBgaca6WaNy8lWOLBzKmIzWN-cxom2sP2xswhyTmhMf28Ctfq0Z166QL1NHbefLOqHCVsESqZP0CAgBTHxXhR5zWOD_Bv9pTjcy34wT924XH2odP75wb/s1600/P9291661.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaDSOjFiI6pU3m_-MKSj4vT2jICBgaca6WaNy8lWOLBzKmIzWN-cxom2sP2xswhyTmhMf28Ctfq0Z166QL1NHbefLOqHCVsESqZP0CAgBTHxXhR5zWOD_Bv9pTjcy34wT924XH2odP75wb/s400/P9291661.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The stack after pressing</td></tr>
</tbody></table> After each stack is fully pressed, it is disassembled and the remnants of the ground apples, which are now almost bone dry are discarded. The process is repeated over and over again becoming one deliciously sticky mess. Not a bad way to spend a rainy day.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAzFOVgpOaOyCSmzc20JaIU9tHVvv4ZZs6vpirb-T9TSR4YmPeyPW39oDYS0cM7zZETSyatekM7SpqrIoRLmLwmPjKKNwHDwGsq4iZz3zrq3igdNTyiFDEwLmt0lkOIskeir80tDX56q8H/s1600/P9291672.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAzFOVgpOaOyCSmzc20JaIU9tHVvv4ZZs6vpirb-T9TSR4YmPeyPW39oDYS0cM7zZETSyatekM7SpqrIoRLmLwmPjKKNwHDwGsq4iZz3zrq3igdNTyiFDEwLmt0lkOIskeir80tDX56q8H/s640/P9291672.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04478527489060892621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-595283159652624998.post-59689329366119862472010-09-29T23:02:00.001-04:002010-09-29T23:03:52.080-04:00Apple Picking Day 22: Hard-working Hands<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>My hands have been showing the wear and tear of several weeks of picking. The scratches, welts and calluses that come from picking thousands of apples a day. The trees always seem to be able to reach out and find the same cut or banged-up knuckle over and over again. It is especially bad with apples that spur a lot, where the constant motion of knocking the spur off the apple can wreak havoc on your cuticles. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_70QTxu0I6G_t18mG0QvMLUm40QREh-xSsIy_jZRXrGLkDjrmgjHf5HdmII9d1cYAgQo5FkCvWxvbxe3ZFHhg69HTdq7eiLm5hYFyOWFT7oBnNBpaRHImBcfBRC_raxRKlpiNFeWxwtTC/s400/P9211614.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After a day of picking Cortlands</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_70QTxu0I6G_t18mG0QvMLUm40QREh-xSsIy_jZRXrGLkDjrmgjHf5HdmII9d1cYAgQo5FkCvWxvbxe3ZFHhg69HTdq7eiLm5hYFyOWFT7oBnNBpaRHImBcfBRC_raxRKlpiNFeWxwtTC/s1600/P9211614.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjrbTFHL26XmSw-K01Bt1WN6YSsNP_V7_K4I6ETEPXj8nQLPB3sExHMzLDKlikNdiAKURdrUP6FpjKCp81uQBSR-uR5FFHSBQAAfWGUoeFXBWz6mJmWigeaV5h1P1T-OTUT3mewB915S7M/s400/P9211616.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wounds that won't seem to heal</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjrbTFHL26XmSw-K01Bt1WN6YSsNP_V7_K4I6ETEPXj8nQLPB3sExHMzLDKlikNdiAKURdrUP6FpjKCp81uQBSR-uR5FFHSBQAAfWGUoeFXBWz6mJmWigeaV5h1P1T-OTUT3mewB915S7M/s1600/P9211616.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>Today we can add to the list of battle wounds, a swollen wrist I got from picking a little too enthusiastically in the first of the Mutsu. I may have picked the most bushels of any day so far this year, but I also picked myself right out of the orchard and into an Ace bandage. After applying Arnica and a heat rub, I hope this will be a temporary setback, only a reminder to slow down and listen to my body. Picking apples can be very hard on your body, especially when you put all you have into it, which I have a tendency to do. <br />
Tomorrow I expect a reprieve from picking as we are expecting more rain. Instead I will spend the day under a roof helping press cider. I hope with a day of rest my wrist will be ready to face the trees when the sun shines again.<span id="goog_1688719421"></span><span id="goog_1688719422"></span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBSLWoyQ-jq2fRNDdhWySliAvvWvEMUVt2jjiU_7G5c_ntp0YNpo1zTId-6vmnCfjZN1Jq30X3b8fIwQ8vG-TwWDADWSR252wOgmIQucABjCEW8ZmcIGuDwH2boMwq9oxfvNB8ktrEhWWd/s320/P9211621.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="240" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waiting to pick the Empires in Lansing</td></tr>
</tbody></table>After about a month of picking we are in the thick of it. The equinox passed about a week ago and at the orchard it seems we have also reached a point of equality, with many trees already picked bare and a similar number still laden with fruit. All of the McIntosh and Cortland have been picked and we have put a good dent in the Empires as well as the Jonagolds . Still ahead lie the Mutsu, sitting there like the promised land, along with Golden and Red Delicious, Ida Reds, Liberty, Fugis and Northern Spy as well as a handful of lesser known varieties. Last will come Goldrush, in late October or even the first part of November.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisN8QcM2Lq5duKAtGdXBdGrVgaGMHsbtyOjrmsEqChJweGY4HAUYeenUdG_REV0kppu5bmaB61y7BICnoJKvK8spoWkHiT8qTtCV7hs0dstyLOZdl78HbxoosOODfi5B6ViUAaCNPSb1SR/s400/P9131571.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cortland in the early morning</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisN8QcM2Lq5duKAtGdXBdGrVgaGMHsbtyOjrmsEqChJweGY4HAUYeenUdG_REV0kppu5bmaB61y7BICnoJKvK8spoWkHiT8qTtCV7hs0dstyLOZdl78HbxoosOODfi5B6ViUAaCNPSb1SR/s1600/P9131571.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04478527489060892621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-595283159652624998.post-36510300795644793642010-09-20T20:33:00.001-04:002010-09-20T20:42:39.118-04:00Picking Apples Day 14: Cider Apples<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhupFoqa-Ky8sQfo07BT5abTtfnYFMVk4iPeVJUQ5VQQCEIcN2mQ9GM2sVL5lHsJ-NZj4udgvj9UAN6GY2CIJN1bwqeEDT3v2KvN3eOHWOxoZrH7b-qHxRP6eQfvO9SsQMQcsQf15btnfkQ/s320/P9151587.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chisel Jersey</td></tr>
</tbody></table>For many people cider is a sweet fresh pressed juice that can be found at any orchard in the autumn months. Historically however, the term cider referred to hard cider, which was the only kind of cider for centuries until refrigeration and more recently pasteurization allowed cider to be kept fresh for weeks or even months. Today's fresh cider is pressed from the very same apples that we are used to eating, ones like McIntosh, Cortland and Honeycrisp. Hard cider on the other hand can be made from a wide variety of apples, many of them seedlings.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOPHWMz07WjfcohJ-6fF04Gjpb41qU4SkUJdsrsxnzLO-7dyxav_Tku0I4jRp3ZYAJGm5K95ZIB1lqTJeF_Jg-DoPffCeywk9QOUoDnM3z_gFCeziHkTcUHofDQb6ywely3SUIuUzesnnf/s1600/P9151594.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOPHWMz07WjfcohJ-6fF04Gjpb41qU4SkUJdsrsxnzLO-7dyxav_Tku0I4jRp3ZYAJGm5K95ZIB1lqTJeF_Jg-DoPffCeywk9QOUoDnM3z_gFCeziHkTcUHofDQb6ywely3SUIuUzesnnf/s400/P9151594.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Cider apples are rarely consumed fresh, many of them are lovingly referred to as "spitters," due to the high concentration of tannins and generally unsavory texture that makes them unpalatable. Historically hard cider was made from almost any apple in the orchard and early cider orchards were often planted from seeds and did not require the grower to have mastered the art of grafting.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>At Cornell Orchards there is a far corner block of apples with names like Summerset Redstreak and Chisel Jersey. This is the cider block where they cultivate a handful of different apples that have traditionally been used for making hard cider. Last week we took a few afternoons to pick some of these apples. It was a nice change of pace from the usual picking. One does not have to be nearly as gentle with the cider apples being as they are going straight to the press. Unlike other apples cider apple drops can also be collected since the fermentation and alcohol will kill any unwanted bacteria.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid74-5jrKD_oHJ5cBIo-gmYCWWfsTNYq9_9U1mldaGOKByqjOueZS6tt3sRUKdniKiAVXasoOG8U5y9YLMqaHBNhiQi-7-e0xK6-kvwkUAPues7GEIRa5oJaUsBQMZBKlOUTT2njw00Gln/s400/P9151606.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">picking cider apples</td></tr>
</tbody></table>First we picked up the drops under the trees with five gallon bucks, the apples making a fun "ker-plunk" as we dropped them into the empty buckets. The drops went into a separate bin from the ones that came from the trees, but all will find there way to the press. What cider apples lack in taste they make up for in appearance: they are beautiful colors and a single variety can range from green to yellow orange and red depending upon their ripeness. They are also varied in their texture, some are very firm while others feel almost spongy. Picking cider apples feels much more relaxed than picking where one is getting paid per bushel. The crew moves together though the trees, stripping the apples from the branches. There is usually conversation and banter and sometimes even a bit of singing when the tractor is not around.<br />
We will revisit the block a few more times this season as different varieties come ripe. When it is all said and done and the apples meet the press, I hope to get my hands on some of the juice and try my luck at a batch or two. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIBiO0ox0qsrLTXBoiC2CtH6c1rUy2G4FTuAKREBKV1s5qxbj2tI-MiNzlixB5Xw_XapeYse7WCAOzSc7wPtIvbmiBDwiD3AC7wxo4LL2v_VSFEFPxfWEZRLZUcvmQ0iZE5S-XKy0aE1-U/s400/P9151596.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A full bin of Chisel Jersey ready to be hauled away</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIBiO0ox0qsrLTXBoiC2CtH6c1rUy2G4FTuAKREBKV1s5qxbj2tI-MiNzlixB5Xw_XapeYse7WCAOzSc7wPtIvbmiBDwiD3AC7wxo4LL2v_VSFEFPxfWEZRLZUcvmQ0iZE5S-XKy0aE1-U/s1600/P9151596.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div> <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhupFoqa-Ky8sQfo07BT5abTtfnYFMVk4iPeVJUQ5VQQCEIcN2mQ9GM2sVL5lHsJ-NZj4udgvj9UAN6GY2CIJN1bwqeEDT3v2KvN3eOHWOxoZrH7b-qHxRP6eQfvO9SsQMQcsQf15btnfkQ/s1600/P9151587.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04478527489060892621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-595283159652624998.post-18398791942647497772010-09-14T21:50:00.001-04:002010-09-14T22:01:59.693-04:00Picking Apples Day 11: The Standard<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlDpJFXP4Wepc68SFFGrnO0z3f4Gu2D6xGDrX5rGRxuszjmfD61KHLqvT1RzYfP4L5zbk96jWBuQSWtn_nRH8Q1TztKmPR578WleneZSiShgzqmzrnGqa89gglK96qWXZR-L3zrZ09n5ed/s1600/P8301443.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlDpJFXP4Wepc68SFFGrnO0z3f4Gu2D6xGDrX5rGRxuszjmfD61KHLqvT1RzYfP4L5zbk96jWBuQSWtn_nRH8Q1TztKmPR578WleneZSiShgzqmzrnGqa89gglK96qWXZR-L3zrZ09n5ed/s200/P8301443.JPG" width="200" /></a>At Cornell Orchards there is a small collection of very old trees known as standards. This term refers to the rootstock, which in the case of these trees was grown from a seed. Almost any apple tree in a conventional orchard is grown on a particular rootstock bred to produce a certain size tree, such as dwarf tree which will only grow to be eight to ten feet tall . Prior to the propagation of particular rootstocks, all apple trees where grafted onto seedling rootstocks which would grow to the height and size of a wild apple tree. These standard trees could easily reach eighteen to twenty feet in height and a similar breadth. They are a whole different breed of apple tree, anachronisms in an age of controlled breeding and dwarf trees, magnificent stalwart giants of a time largely gone by. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEwobfgbQ21SttRkWH7oIat78I13lPY3FE3FE-MpN9xzyyUkhWMtyDk1keQb48WsOxs0HiIIV2vZdgCbKgsSCM9uD64VakJldyNHNQZWA1JtMTz_2ZkReOkspqa1izvLpRBJYT3CWecqWZ/s1600/P8301448.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEwobfgbQ21SttRkWH7oIat78I13lPY3FE3FE-MpN9xzyyUkhWMtyDk1keQb48WsOxs0HiIIV2vZdgCbKgsSCM9uD64VakJldyNHNQZWA1JtMTz_2ZkReOkspqa1izvLpRBJYT3CWecqWZ/s400/P8301448.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>The rows of standard trees at Cornell used to stretch for almost a quarter mile, all the way to the treeline. Now, rows of grapes and dwarf trees grow where these trees put down roots for almost a century. Less than a dozen standard trees remain, mostly Cortlands and one McIntosh. Today I got to pick that McIntosh.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp8qOQljb97feBYJzC-AHUA35iwHLNQs1EWq3tIN8ffZuVPHCWfxpBuc2ENTPYuM8_lqLKUaAEpqkyMWfuNfkoBvRugNkATuEe_FMcudxhYPV9QcDg5RrkDWsgUglpew4a8R9gxXPEOXhX/s1600/P9131573.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp8qOQljb97feBYJzC-AHUA35iwHLNQs1EWq3tIN8ffZuVPHCWfxpBuc2ENTPYuM8_lqLKUaAEpqkyMWfuNfkoBvRugNkATuEe_FMcudxhYPV9QcDg5RrkDWsgUglpew4a8R9gxXPEOXhX/s400/P9131573.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="300" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sixteen-foot straight ladders (eight foot in background)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>After a morning of picking dwarf Cortland trees with eight foot tripod ladders we broke for lunch under the large McIntosh tree, surrounded by fallen apples. Leaned up against the tree were two sixteen-foot straight wooden ladders waiting for us. Finding the right nooks and crannies of the trees in which to place the ladder requires a lot of thought and a little intuition. I felt as if I was picking apples they way they were meant to be picked; with thought and care and at the top of every climb up the ladder, an awe-inspiring view. The tree took two of us about half an hour to pick and yielded only half a bin of apples, although I suspect there was another half of a bin on the ground under the tree. High in the upper most reaches of the tree there were a few apples even our sixteen foot ladders and six foot bodies could not reach, as if the tree was reminding us that we can not always attain every fruit. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvwWawYMTFcvZ8lzHZqvzWMqFktEJWWrPzqOvSkqvUHmz7nbw2cUdXnf1vwcCBG3953UtSgqhOkGF-Xh4VlmgOs5kxmmHSECFqEBMweywAoF36habe7-Ytk0Gqs-SiNmQbtEnPNE9HncRy/s1600/P9131579.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvwWawYMTFcvZ8lzHZqvzWMqFktEJWWrPzqOvSkqvUHmz7nbw2cUdXnf1vwcCBG3953UtSgqhOkGF-Xh4VlmgOs5kxmmHSECFqEBMweywAoF36habe7-Ytk0Gqs-SiNmQbtEnPNE9HncRy/s1600/P9131579.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvwWawYMTFcvZ8lzHZqvzWMqFktEJWWrPzqOvSkqvUHmz7nbw2cUdXnf1vwcCBG3953UtSgqhOkGF-Xh4VlmgOs5kxmmHSECFqEBMweywAoF36habe7-Ytk0Gqs-SiNmQbtEnPNE9HncRy/s400/P9131579.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>After we were done I took an apple from the bin, call it a reward if you will. As McIntosh goes it was incredibly delicious, one of the best I have tasted. The horticulturist in me knew that this could have little to do with the rootstock and much more with the particular variety grafted onto that rootstock, but I would like to believe that only a tree such as this one could yield such delectable fruit. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrtJyGstZ9DdJSZzj6PBvisHvcL4k6yokrrkTkLXmlyJPlByWJGlYEp5D9citKh6hKoLL_5UU6RRScXPfml5RyqICCIc1OPeOdanY1pJKPdv1UTPqooWrdxJ5OV5RC3C3AZOrUUqycYdQ9/s1600/P9131574.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrtJyGstZ9DdJSZzj6PBvisHvcL4k6yokrrkTkLXmlyJPlByWJGlYEp5D9citKh6hKoLL_5UU6RRScXPfml5RyqICCIc1OPeOdanY1pJKPdv1UTPqooWrdxJ5OV5RC3C3AZOrUUqycYdQ9/s400/P9131574.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04478527489060892621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-595283159652624998.post-55631961968622110862010-09-13T19:04:00.010-04:002010-09-14T09:52:22.235-04:00Apple Picking Day 9: Rainy Mornings and McIntosh<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimqt47s6kZm_arwFllib9LuKxIiqnIcpG7_bwUXnbL4jaesav6SIs2LMvlrJMaHyAOLoW7CUYONp7NwoK9Gg4gT5WQdE_Ft9HzKg11mXkLQCdduTerSi5ewb1e39-V9kwI9Y5BxEIQYCLa/s1600/P9091526.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimqt47s6kZm_arwFllib9LuKxIiqnIcpG7_bwUXnbL4jaesav6SIs2LMvlrJMaHyAOLoW7CUYONp7NwoK9Gg4gT5WQdE_Ft9HzKg11mXkLQCdduTerSi5ewb1e39-V9kwI9Y5BxEIQYCLa/s320/P9091526.JPG" /></a>The last few mornings have been wet and rainy, coating the trees and the apples in small cool droplets that work there way up your sleeve and drop into your eyes as you pick the upper branches. It has also been much cooler, making me grateful for long sleeves, dry shoes and the morning cup of coffee I take out into the orchard with me. It certainly feels like fall has come to stay and every day I see more and more maples with tinted tips. <br />
We have moved into the world of Macs, some tastier than others, but all soft easily bruised. The rain only exacerbates these traits making the apples ever so easy to blemish. McIntosh are otherwise very enjoyable to pick. They come off the tree with only a small flick of the wrist and many of them are very sizable, almost reaching the proportions of a Cortland. Although the days have started out cool and wet the sun almost always shows it's face by the afternoon.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3etaZXspld3TnK3ZVIuCA5SBd4gov7VIWe5L3BVdckkAlYb1IkQNyxnUNVukZOGrVvvk5cJgI9P9DhBfAbXY5oqHuLULt8PAbX7k5gSuzcEpHZxKawZjvTC7Mf6da5AbSjK2jB-L84Nht/s1600/P9091529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3etaZXspld3TnK3ZVIuCA5SBd4gov7VIWe5L3BVdckkAlYb1IkQNyxnUNVukZOGrVvvk5cJgI9P9DhBfAbXY5oqHuLULt8PAbX7k5gSuzcEpHZxKawZjvTC7Mf6da5AbSjK2jB-L84Nht/s400/P9091529.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elaina donning her rain gear on a rainy apple morning</td></tr>
</tbody></table> The forecast is for more rain and more Macs as we move into mid-September and closer to the autumnal equinox. It feels wonderful to be picking in the cool air upon which rides the nostalgia that makes this my favorite season. I am cool damp and content.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyIhZiNNTtS321XiMn4TgCp3Cw4iT6Sak1y1D7h2UUPnHLDp01a00yH_Lw0RLVRC1ax0D7nGO0ji9vZ8AAyn-e6-pFberR18kymFSu4VnaeuMv4-WkdufF-kVGoXC92llOK-dyKFAF-nBn/s1600/P9091534.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyIhZiNNTtS321XiMn4TgCp3Cw4iT6Sak1y1D7h2UUPnHLDp01a00yH_Lw0RLVRC1ax0D7nGO0ji9vZ8AAyn-e6-pFberR18kymFSu4VnaeuMv4-WkdufF-kVGoXC92llOK-dyKFAF-nBn/s320/P9091534.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The morning cup of coffee</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: right;"></div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04478527489060892621noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-595283159652624998.post-35576873175490037972010-09-09T19:06:00.001-04:002010-09-29T23:04:51.027-04:00Picking Day 8: A New VarietyThe weather has turned toward autumn, much to my delight. For the last two mornings I have worn a long sleeve shirt into the orchard and armed myself with a hot cup of tea. Rain has also threatened for the last two days. We have been picking in the Lansing orchard where one can see the rain rolling over the western hills across the lake. The lake kept most of the rain on it's western shores, as mist and a few rainy gusts were the only inclement weather that intruded upon our picking.<br />
We have moved past the Galas and into Macs and Honeycrisp as well as Jonamacs. Today I picked Shizukas for the first time; a sister apple to the Mutsu that ripens earlier in the season. If I had not been told otherwise I would have had little trouble believing I was picking Mutsu.<br />
Unfortunately I did not carry my camera with me today so the following picture was taken after the fact. Tonight we are baking the first apple pie of the season with some Galas and Honeycrisp.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXBK7kum9U-cqSg6ryoz1ka0Yl4BDz_NxPrLwLp7S_q5Amu6yQImCAknWPZOEbjtmJ5kJCXmukebn2cvIBAXlePrlscvcEXws9b-8qximF00FOgGRs-9gpDbcN9cnnFL3WBh4bVq9EBBus/s1600/P9091513.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXBK7kum9U-cqSg6ryoz1ka0Yl4BDz_NxPrLwLp7S_q5Amu6yQImCAknWPZOEbjtmJ5kJCXmukebn2cvIBAXlePrlscvcEXws9b-8qximF00FOgGRs-9gpDbcN9cnnFL3WBh4bVq9EBBus/s400/P9091513.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shizuka 2010</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHzdSdQq_ugrYoa1J_nvhzv1w7HNAMptpuRvtFYDYhMvO6wHzzuX4TItxNpe9FCRHH4BDucv-tZlinwQMfw3UBBZn1D18iPCp2gadHQAs-1FLh_0ycGWcuuU2rySw95vQGHmiGvpUatJg0/s1600/PA220418.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHzdSdQq_ugrYoa1J_nvhzv1w7HNAMptpuRvtFYDYhMvO6wHzzuX4TItxNpe9FCRHH4BDucv-tZlinwQMfw3UBBZn1D18iPCp2gadHQAs-1FLh_0ycGWcuuU2rySw95vQGHmiGvpUatJg0/s400/PA220418.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mutsu 2009</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04478527489060892621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-595283159652624998.post-62027425463910802892010-09-03T07:31:00.001-04:002010-09-29T23:05:13.884-04:00Picking Day 4: Heat WaveAll I can really say about the last few days is hot hot hot. Although the nights are cool September nights, the days have been stuck in August or maybe even July with ninety plus days all week. Yesterday I picked out at the Lansing orchard for the first time having spent my first two days at the Ithaca orchard. Both are owned by Cornell and used for research. The Lansing orchard along with apples also has grapes, pears and pawpaws. It sits on the eastern bluff of one of the finger lakes providing a stunning view of Cayuga Lake - a tempting proposition when one is standing at the top of a ladder in the hot sun at three in the afternoon.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_fsUfL8xRsuWnI8CRxnMxTRvnmvN8loRdPprW0VHR9IljEdiF08eegNjjufeiK6TZiFm6JTjhTKpOb8TY-QnVkDEvNkE9iXQHTDUklnuXe8ujY62kCchZwoQ09vlDTWlemjwMjfqNMavK/s1600/P8301455.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_fsUfL8xRsuWnI8CRxnMxTRvnmvN8loRdPprW0VHR9IljEdiF08eegNjjufeiK6TZiFm6JTjhTKpOb8TY-QnVkDEvNkE9iXQHTDUklnuXe8ujY62kCchZwoQ09vlDTWlemjwMjfqNMavK/s200/P8301455.JPG" width="200" /></a></div> It has been the week of Galas, first color picking and then stripping. The stripping largely consisted of pulling small green marble size apples off the tress. There is no finesse involved in this kind of picking, as the tree seems almost as determined to hang on to these small spheres of joy as you are to pull them off, ideally getting them into your picking bucket. Paired with the hot temperatures, this kind of picking quickly leads to frustration and low morale on the crew, which in turn compounds the situation by making the task take even longer than it otherwise would. Today should be the last day of extream heat and also of the Galas, if all goes well. Next week still has highs in the seventies and eighties, but somehow I think it may feel just a little more like fall. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp7Kgi8gaEBq2XDTPNa7CfkZuw2XShdP5UGvadltU1ivBPWMl9-LtxYaLEAa7vySwySK0Afp3IupVuagE7YAsfHVpzqsSMkcpBYJr9Qw5zPVY4Q6IScRK9uxDc2MkrAS7ClkHzbUH3-m7z/s1600/P8301453.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp7Kgi8gaEBq2XDTPNa7CfkZuw2XShdP5UGvadltU1ivBPWMl9-LtxYaLEAa7vySwySK0Afp3IupVuagE7YAsfHVpzqsSMkcpBYJr9Qw5zPVY4Q6IScRK9uxDc2MkrAS7ClkHzbUH3-m7z/s400/P8301453.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rows of trees with the Cornell Orchard shed behind</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04478527489060892621noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-595283159652624998.post-32366675678256796792010-08-30T23:51:00.000-04:002010-08-30T23:51:55.678-04:00Picking: Day One<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Warm and hazy this morning. If the last days of August were a competition between Summer and Autumn, summer definitly had the upper hand today. The small crew of only ten or so met not so promptly at eight this morning. I was given the choice of several unclaimed picking bags to choose from, no doubt the cream of the crop. Choosing the right picking bag can be the difference between a good season and a bad one. Shoulder straps can be too narrow, twisted or not padded. Also there are several different mechanisms for latching the bottom to the bucket; my favorite are two side ropes with knots that fit in a small "hook" on the side of the bucket. Several different knots along the rope allow the depth of the bucket to be adjustable. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoV5TZ1CfpA861wd2MSacEw2F8UQe2fxd3GzU-uHQx0eWVxnDMHSmNHejRJ2Wi1XEsF9pqnlfbRRpHE8zIUUpMLZl-8llyrNPlvFVrKx2jwc82NkswsdWo89D6vFUNyQ6dk8ynohyphenhyphenwfVZq/s1600/PB040547.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoV5TZ1CfpA861wd2MSacEw2F8UQe2fxd3GzU-uHQx0eWVxnDMHSmNHejRJ2Wi1XEsF9pqnlfbRRpHE8zIUUpMLZl-8llyrNPlvFVrKx2jwc82NkswsdWo89D6vFUNyQ6dk8ynohyphenhyphenwfVZq/s400/PB040547.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We color picked the Galas today; a beautiful apple with a stunning blush that almost looks neon when very ripe. The thinning, which had been done by spraying, had been only mildly successful, which left lots of clumps of apples and entire apple "columns" jutting from the tops of some of the trees. The day was a hot one, with plenty of brakes in the shade. I have learned that the early season is not the time to push yourself. I took lunch under an old standard McIntosh tree grown from seedling rootstock nearly a hundred years ago. The shade was welcome. It felt really good to be out in the orchard, again at home. My day ended with an unexpected, yet predictable sunburn and a cold beer on the porch.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04478527489060892621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-595283159652624998.post-31177037497406043822010-08-28T08:03:00.000-04:002010-08-28T08:03:07.250-04:00A New SeasonThe air is brisk this morning; fifty-seven degrees, and the angle of the light seems a little more acute. The first leaves on the maples across the road have started to show an orange tint, although the tree still hangs proudly onto its leaves, as I onto the last days of summer. The apple harvest is here again. Yesterday I put on the picking bag for the first time this season, harvesting Galas and Honeycrisp up at West Haven Farm. The last of the peaches are still clinging to the threes, but the tops of the Galas are awash in a full blush. We are doing the first color pick on the Galas, taking most of the tops and skimming an outer layer of the trees. The Honeycrisp are a little slower to come on and less uniform. With ninety degree days predicted for the first part of this coming week, the Galas will probably be off the trees by Labor Day. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilVknY_jt4HEkIJB9nhPHWH0d-JR84xiAp-I-aFug8FrRJKQ4nHPGyuQRmf_v0jKEFdSsfUeOqdcv1Uz0AD648zf4qgbDdku4b2FSZ_eV4UmV0VPqRwDujEqtQl7ULT9o8cDf5JCYY0kmc/s1600/PA240472.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilVknY_jt4HEkIJB9nhPHWH0d-JR84xiAp-I-aFug8FrRJKQ4nHPGyuQRmf_v0jKEFdSsfUeOqdcv1Uz0AD648zf4qgbDdku4b2FSZ_eV4UmV0VPqRwDujEqtQl7ULT9o8cDf5JCYY0kmc/s400/PA240472.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>On Monday I will start working five days a week at Cornell Orchards. I am ready to be out in the orchard and my excitement is almost uncontainable at times. A good friend and fellow picker from Moose Hill has come to stay in our home and has already begun to pick. In this past week I have lived vicariously through the little snippets of her day that she shares. I look forward to having my own stories to tell. Happy picking!Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04478527489060892621noreply@blogger.com1