Winter Rest

People often ask what we do at the farm during the winter months. Winter on the farm is a quiet time, much more so than during the growing months of spring through fall. Equipment purchases and repairs, packing and shipping apples as the grocery stores place orders, planning future projects or refining current ones, website improvements, meetings with other growers,these are the types of things in which we are engaged, especially in late December and January. Many of the "winter projects" are not so time-sensitive, and that allows us opportunities to spend more time with family and friends. One of the projects I am currently working on is recording farm and family history and sharing that with others via YouTube. There is a steep learning curve involved, and that combined with my patience level (read: impatience) at learning new skills makes some in the family look forward to the months when outdoor orchard work begins. As I grow older I seem to be more aware of the need to slow down and enjoy the blessings and opportunities life presents each day. Come to think of it, while the rest of the family members are cozy in their beds I think I'll take a walk outside and enjoy the winter morning sky.

Jonathon, an heirloom classic

Honeycrisp has stolen the limelight lately (in regards to apple popularity) and Red Delicious' ubiquitous place on grocery store shelves is well entrenched, but it's the Jonathon apple that year after year quietly delivers apple goodness to those in the know.  Arguably the best apple for pies, its followers also rave about the sauce it makes and enjoy its tart flavor and crisp, juicy texture.  Over the last decade it has become less and less available in grocery stores as newer varieties (with large marketing budgets) push it into obscurity.  The good news is you can still pick Jonathon straight from the tree at our farm, and if you are not familiar with Jonathon, we invite you to the farm this weekend and encourage you to enjoy one of life's little pleasures, the Jonathon apple.

Apple Use Chart

Variety	Flavor/Texture	Pies	Baking	Sauce	Salads	Keeping Ability
Fuji	Sweet/Firm	Fair	Fair	Fair	Good	Excellent
Gala	Sweet/Crisp	Fair	Fair	Fair	Good	Fair
Golden Delicious	Sweet/Tender	Very Good	Very Good	Very Good	Good	Average
Golden Supreme	Sweet/Tender	Good	Good	Good	Good	Average
Goldrush	Very Tart/Firm	Very Good	Very Good	Good	Good	Excellent
Jonagold	Sweet/Tart	Very Good	Very Good	Very Good	Good	Average
Jonathon	Tart/Tender	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent	Good	Average
Honeycrisp	Sweet/Tart	Very Good	Good	Good	Good	Average
McIntosh	Juicy/Tart Tender	Fair	Fair	Good	Good	Fair
Melrose	Firm/Crisp Sweet/Tart	Very Good	Very Good	Very Good	Good	Good
Pixie Crunch	Sweet/Crisp	Fair	Fair	Fair	Good	Average
Red Cortland	Sweet/Tart Juicy/Tender	Fair	Fair	Good	Good	Fair
Red Delicious	Sweet/Crisp	Poor	Poor	Poor	Good	Average
Rome	Slightly Tart/Firm	Good	Good	Good	Good	Average
Suncrisp	Sweet/Tart Firm/Juicy	Very Good	Very Good	Good	Good	Very Good
Winesap	Firm/Tart	Very Good	Very Good	Good	Good	Very Good

 

Morse Road: Don't Even Think About It!

Morse Road is under construction until at least the end of September and we recommend avoiding it as you travel to the farm this fall.  Fortunately, an excellent alternative exists: take S.R. 161 east from the Columbus area to S.R. 310.  Turn right on S.R. 310 and head south approximately 1 1/2 miles to the intersection of Morse Road and 310.  At that point you've reached the farm!

Pixie Crunch: the new kid on the block

Pixie Crunch is a relatively new variety for our farm that we will be able to offer as u-pick for the first time this year.  As the name implies, it is a small to medium sized apple with sweet flavor and a very crisp texture.  Consider it the perfect lunchbox apple.  Customers who have sampled it over the last couple of seasons now ask for it by name, and we expect it to develop into one of our more popular varieties.  Stored properly in your refrigerator you can expect good quality through Christmas.  Quantities this year are limited.  Let us know what you think about Pixie, and please give us feedback if you bake with them or make sauce.

Honeycrisp U-Pick Price 2010

The quality of this year's honeycrisp crop is looking very good as we approach opening day.  Some people have inquired as to why the price has been increased this year to $25 compared to last year's price of $20 per bag, so here's the scoop:  Honeycrisp is the most highly demanded u-pick apple we grow, and our supplies are very limited relative to demand.  Couple that with the fact that it is perhaps the most challenging variety for us to grow well, and we decided a price increase was in order.  That being said, we understand that $25 for one-half bushel of apples may be beyond the budget of some folks, and at the same time, our price per half-bushel equates to approximately $1.25 per pound, a very reasonable and competitive price for quality Honeycrisp.  That's the scoop!