From Farmer Karen

This is my first blog posting! I barely use email and here I am blogging. I guess it is possible to teach an old dog a new trick (not that I'm a dog)

Here we are in 2010. I'd love to say I've had a chance to relax since the tail end of 09 CSA but there always seems to be so much to do. The substantial apple crop this past fall was super but it certainly added much to our work load. Amongst all the farm work in the fall we pressed cider continuously from the end of September through to the end of December. Each cider pressing typically takes two people about half a day. With fewer people around after the end of the CSA season that sometimes translated to me working really fast! Having helpers is wonderful!

Cider, apples, and our many farm value added products were sold at the Brandywine River Museum outdoor courtyard weekends from Thanksgiving through to the end of the year. Because of some lousy weather on some of the market days we sold less than what I'd hoped for and expected. It is always good to see fellow marketers that I've come to know over the years and we all helped keep each others spirits up regardless of the cold temps and less than desirable cash in the pocket.

For those who haven't been, The Brandywine River Museum is a wonderful little museum tucked in along the river in Chadd's Ford PA. Artwork, landscaping, and architecture all blend in a wonderful way. There's a great train display and Christmas trees filled with lovely hand made ornaments. Plan now on visiting in 2010 and get a nice cup of hot cider while you're there- and take an apple butter home while you're at it!

So- is it really time to start pruning the apple orchard again? I'm sure glad I got a message to set me straight so we can begin the whole cycle again.
Karen