Late November

I think I'll call it the "quiet season" as of late. You haven't heard much from us here, or on social media. In the Fall, and into winter, there is a kind of slowing, much cherished after summer. I think we are especially taking time to enjoy it, as we know this time next year it will slow, but the pace will be different, as we continue to grow food in our deep winter greenhouse.

Yarrow tincture brewing. 

The late Fall let me make some more medicines for the cupboard. I found late blooming yarrow to tincture, for medicine and bug spray. I dug dandelions for tea - with leisure. :)

We are putting the final details on the orchard nursery deer protection and working on little projects in our buildings and pig quarters. We are cleaning the garage, making apple butter, preserving more last bits of the harvest. I am deep cleaning the house.

Ragnar helping in the field.

We are reading more, cooking more and trying new recipes out. We are processing, reflecting, shedding, connecting. Looking back at the year, getting ready to finalize year-end reports and ramp up plans for next season.

And, we are waiting for a nice freeze to end the mud-season and a nice blanket of snow for cross country skiing.

That's a Wrap! Orchard Style

This week we finished cleaning up the orchard, as well as the veggie field. We cleaned up a few more apples for the pigs winter stash, and picked a few more Haralson hanging on for our winter eating.

The pigs winter apple stash. We like them eating produce as long as possible!

 The orchard looks beautiful. We picked up the ladders and bins, and took down our insect traps.

Our off-site orchard. 

Johnny picking a few more Haralsons for us to snack on.

John is a mountain climber...being an orchardist is a great compliment. Here he is picking apples....mind you I am laying flat on the ground to take this...and he is horizontal in the tree. :)

Johnny having fun picking horizontally.

That's a wrap on our fifth season managing the orchard.

 Trees planted in 2016 at the home orchard.

Nursery trees ready to be planted out in 2017.

Nursery stock for our growing orchard.

 A wonderful day working in the orchard together. Thank you for supporting organic agriculture! Apples are the 2nd most contaminated fruit/vegetable, we take pride in bringing these healthy fruits to our community!

The kids will be happy to eat apples (and some pumpkins) until they run out!

The "kids."