Blog

You might be wondering what is happening on Fieldstone Orchard with all this wacky weather we are having. So let me give you an update!

The good news is that we had many, many freeze days! Fruits need anywhere from 600-1500 freeze hours in the dormant season to create good fruit in the spring and summer into fall. Cherries, especially, need freeze time or they are small and will have only one cherry per stem. In a good year with at least 800 hours of freeze time you will have larger cherries and more cherries per stem. Last year we didn't get that many freeze hours out here on Fieldstone, so we had small cherries and usually one per stem (they were super tasty however!!). However, this year we are seeing many more buds per stem. There were 3 blossoms that bloomed on our sweet cherry trees so they must have been "scouts" for the other buds to see if it was safe to come out. They let the others know the time was not quite right so luckily all the other buds are tightly closed and awaiting the true coming of Spring!

(I have a great recipe for cherry topping for cheesecake and such...you can make it the consistency you like. I make a little thick so that it rests on top of the cheesecake without being too runny. Awesome with that sour flavor resonating through with the sweet balance!)

The asparagus, too, must have gotten word from Mother Nature that the time was not quite right. We had maybe 7 stalks of asparagus that I picked in the whole of an acre and a half or so and not even the weeds dared to peek their heads up out of the earth....so perhaps this year asparagus will be May 1 - May 30....only God knows!!

The new plum trees had a lovely bloom a few weeks ago. And, even though we had some cool nights they seemed to be unphased....this would be the first year for those trees to put on fruit...so we will see.

The peaches, too, put on their bloom a week or two after the plum and they were in full bloom when this weather hit....so we will see....they are the most amazingly sweet and tasty peaches I have ever had. My dear sweet neighbors dug us out of the 12 and 18 inches of snow we had this winter so I baked them peach cobblers as a thank you. What a blessing to share such treats stored from the early fall. I cut, peeled and froze them as I find this keeps the flavor the best for peaches.

I will be putting liquid bone meal and EM (essential microorganisms) on the raspberries after this cold snap and ready them for a good season ahead. We will be brewing the EM this year so if you want to purchase from us, just let me know. Also, I have a "kitchen composter" that is a nice easy way to make compost. And, it has a spigot to run the "compost tea" into a container to use on your plants right away! They even made the container itself with EM! Let me know if you want one. We are going to check on interest and have them available here for folks.

The ponds are still low, but they are filling a little bit. Say a few prayers that rain continues and the ponds can have their fill!

Blessings to you all! Bruce and I look forward to seeing you this season!

I am so happy God is in charge...otherwise I would be lost in all this wacky weather.

In Great Gratitude,

Marianne

Wow! it has been a great year. It has had it's share of challenges, however, given all the obstacles of weather, breakage, surprises and more....it has been a good year. We had really tasty apples and fruits, our first year of our organic spraying regime worked really well to help heal issues in the orchard and we produced some fabulous heirloom organically grown vegatables. Whew!

We will have our last press of our amazing apple cider on November 15, 2012 so call now to arrange a pick up for you hard cider makers and make your appointment to stock up for the winter! It freezes really well for 6 month to a year.

We still have some Fuji apples, Golden Russet and Gold Rush apples so as we are picking those for cider if you want to reserve some to pick up just let us know.

We had the gleaners from St. Andrews come out and we packed up 1000 lbs of apples for the less fortunate and those in need.  Man, that felt good! Our hope is to be in a position to give 10% to those in need. So we feel God is supporting us to manifest the desires of our hearts! One day at a time!

We will be having some house concerts coming up during the winter and early Spring so let us know if you are interested in classical or country or bluegrass/folk! Sky Smeed is our next House Concert so let me know if you are interested.

Blessings to you all and thank you for helping to make this a successful first year going beyond the usual organic processes and moving into nutrient dense food, feeding, restoring, harmonizing the nature God has given us to steward. Thank you all!

In Great Gratitude and Love,

Marianne and Bruce

We are so excited to be participating in the Farm to Table event for Kansas October 24, 2012. We have supplied Lawrence schools and Eudora High with fresh apples ripe from the tree, organically grown right here in Kansas! The taste of an apple ripe from the tree is so different than what one can find in your usual grocery store. Plus, we supplied some antique varieties that not only the kids, but the adults may have never tried before! Hopefully it will be another level of education for all. We have already gotten good feedback so hopefully we will be able to supply our kids of Kansas with more local fruit and produce in the future!

We had alot of fun seeing familiar faces and meeting new folks at the Baldwin Maple Leaf Festival. We are always pleased to help the Business Women of Baldwin and their college fund for young women. What a great cause and always a pleasure to be a part of the event.

Well, Mother Nature is breathing hard out here...so if you are wanting to stock up on apples for the winter now is the time before she blows them all to the ground! LOL!

We have some newly ripe varieties that are also good keepers for the winter. If you store your apples at 38 to 40 degrees say in your crisper of your frig they should keep for 3-6 months! Here are the good varieties for this: Arkansas Black, Black Twig (gets sweeter as it keeps. very fun.), Pink Lady, Mullin, Fuji, I even found Jonathan to keep pretty well last year, and Jonagold although it can get soft it is still great for cooking.

We are pressing cider this week! We have been getting such great reports from the amateur cider makers about our cider this year. The Brix is high and the flavor is perfect for making a professional cider like never before! So put your order in if you want to pick some up for your home brews.

We should be able to pick for another weekend or two, so don't delay! Come on out and have some fun, pick some apples, drink some cider! Then take some cider home for daily drinking for all those vitamins, enzymes and antioxidants it gives you. Then freeze some for the winter parties and to give as gifts!

We are so happy at the restoration our organic sprays did this year. We have more work to do, of course, but we are so happy to see such success in one short year. The interesting thing is, the antique varieties seemed to respond really well!

We will be having some house concerts, so if you are interested please get on our email list and let me know that music is of interest to you.

Blessings to you all! We hope to see you soon!

Warmly,

Marianne

Wow! Our first year to participate in the Kaw Valley Farm Tour was a great success! (www.kawvalleyfarmtour.org) A huge thank you goes out to all the incredible musicians who came out and performed. Mary for her fantastic kids area complete with chicken races! what at hit!! and all who volunteered (we could have never done it without you), customers and families that came out to make this a great success! Even in the cold!! LOL. That 'a way Kansans...and a few Iowans as well!!

A million times Thank You! to: Mark Fleming and Mel McCrary, you guys rock! your music whether together or as individuals was superb...thanks for letting this ol' jazz singer do a little version of Summertime with you, that was a blast, you guys just tuned right in..always a privledge and a delight to work with excellent and gifted musicians...next time Dream a Little Dream...I'll work on knowing some lyrics!?) and thanks for that amazing Bose sound system that just resonanted perfectly into the orchard for all the pickers to hear! what clarity! It seems our orchard is set up like an amphitheatre, which just helped that sound to carry that much more!; 

Picket Paul & Gene (you guys ran away without all your apple/apple cider goodies!?! we'll have to deliver...or you have to come back!?!) Man! it was a cold day but like troopers you all showed up and played awesome even if folks were too cold to sit and listen attentively! you guys need a FB page and a CD so we can start buying your unique trinity of musical delight! thank you for fitting us in before the big wedding, you were a blessing;

Lance A. Fahy (find him on FB - We are so very happy your kids and wife had such a great time at our orchard! We look forward to seeing you again!...and what a great little chicken racer your son turned out to be!! Congrats!) I can't wait to hear you with your band later this month, I heard alot of appreciation for all the variety of ways you bring out a song. Such versatility. Great Performer. What a talent! thank you, Lance. We look forward to doing this again with you;

Quirk & Ruckus! (see their FB page of the same name) Claire Adams and Katy Guillen we look forward to giving you many more reasons to come back and visit Overbrook! You have a unique magic that happens when you both come together. What a delight. You kicked off Sunday morning in great style...and those of us fortunate enough to hear you are eternally grateful. Yes ma'am! Applacian Indie Rock to the Heartland, great stuff! Get some CD's out with the 2 of ya'll. I loved your individual cd's now I need more of you two together!

Sky Smeed - I just listened to all 3 of your CD's back to back. What a great evolution of music. And one thing is central in all, you're a great performer and excellent songwriter. And a great recording...I want to know more about the recording studio you used...nice work! I find myself humming your tunes long after they are done...We look foward to having you out for some house concerts as well! Great presence and great music. thanks, Sky. (www.skysmeed.com)

Wheat Benders - Your explosion of foot tappin' tail waggin' heart happy music (by such accomplished musicians...that clearly have played together for a while..great ensemble) was perfectly timed with the explosion of folks that came out to the Orchard! What alot of fun. I could listen on so many levels, just the fun of it, and then the unique ways in which you utilize the unique instruments (was it a Ukibanjo?) and mandolin as rhythm...just great creativity. Thank you for bringing your entertainment. What adorable kids you have! I hope you enjoyed those carmel apples and jugs of cider! It's always a pleasure to see kids havin' fun in the orchard! Let's do this again. Thank you.

The cold snap is bringing on the next apples....so come on out and pick!

Blessings to you all!

Marianne

at Fieldstone Orchard & Farm