Cherry Blossoms And the Rest of the Story
As humans, we have a story this spring to share with generations about our fight with Corona. Our cherry orchard has another story about the kind of nights we’ve had over the same period. As I peek through the branches to the bright shining waters of our beautiful lake, it’s hard to imagine there’s a problem with humans or tree fruit.
Continue reading →Master Gardener Internship
Here’s an update on my Master Gardener journey.
Continue reading →Changing Water
The irrigation water is up and running on all of our orchard blocks.
Continue reading →Grafting Minnieska Trees
Watch our horticulture specialist, Phil, as he demonstrates stump grafting Minnieska (SweeTango apple) to a G-41 rootstock.
Continue reading →Honeycrisp Waldorf
Honeycrisp apples and a few extra ingredients add pizazz to the original hotel Waldorf’s signature dish. Its the result of my ongoing search for new ways to enjoy our delicious organic apples. As a kid, I wasn’t a big fan of the Waldorf salad. Back then, the apple of choice was the Red Delicious. So may I just say, Honeycrisps make a big difference! Add some oven-roasted walnuts, diced dates, and mini marshmallows. It’s so divine that it also works as a dessert! Oh, and do add some celery just to stay with tradition.
Continue reading →The Magic Behind Big Fat Blueberries
We’ve been pruning our 4.4 acres of Drapers and Liberty blueberries the last two weeks. This is where the magic begins.
Social distancing isn’t difficult with this kind of work.
Continue reading →What do farmers do in the winter?
Harvest in the late summer is an exciting time on the farm. It’s when we harvest our blueberries and apples at their peak of ripeness. Then we carefully package them to make sure our customers receive them in excellent condition. But though our trees are dormant in the winter our work isn’t over. Like other farmers, we spend the winter planning, repairing, etc. etc. A farmers work is never done. Here’s an idea of what we are accomplishing in the winter.
We plan, plan plan.
All of us on the leadership team are working hard to review last year and plan ahead for 2020 and beyond. We have found that our farm design has to update and change every year if we’re going to stay in business. Winter is the time to assess and plan for the changes.
Continue reading →A Shortcut to Clean the Dryer Vent
We had a dryer for 25 years that tried to die several times. Bill with his farm boy know-how, always resuscitated it with a new belt or part extending its life. Finally, it began heating our clothes to the point of setting them on fire. A man’s large tall cotton flannel shirt would enter the dryer and would exit the size of a woman’s medium. I benefitted from these instances. When Bill’s favorite yellow basketball shirt shrunk so tight he looked like Winnie the Pooh it was the last straw, Bill agreed to a new washer dryer set.
Master Gardener Journey
Last fall, I applied and was accepted into the WSU Master Gardener program. The orientation class this week launches my training. My passion is plants and people, so this is a perfect way for me to give back to my community.
Perhaps my years of farming and gardening will help in my learning curve? What I know is that there is so much I don’t know! For instance, my Lemon Cypress trees that I brought inside this fall because they don’t winter well in our zone 7 are slowly dying! Why?
Five Reasons to Make a Honeycrisp Apple Pie
Click Here for my Homemade Honeycrisp Apple Pie Recipe!
One of my favorite desserts to share with others is a homemade Honeycrisp apple pie. Jane Austen once said, “Good apple pies are a considerable part of our domestic happiness.” I completely agree! It’s a myth that making a great apple pie from scratch is difficult or tricky. Here are five reasons to make an apple pie from scratch using my homemade Honeycrisp apple pie recipe.
1. It’s easy and fast.
Kitchen tools have come a long way, making cooking significantly easier and faster. My go-to tool is the OXO Good Grips Silicone Pastry Mat for stress-free pie crusts. (BTW, I have no affiliation with the company!) Go to my tutorials and recipes for tips and tools that make a big difference.
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