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 Annual September Farmgirl Apple Festival!
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Author Holidays: Previous Topic Annual September Farmgirl Apple Festival! Next Topic  

Red Tractor Girl
True Blue Farmgirl

6488 Posts

Winnie
Gainesville Fl
USA
6488 Posts

Posted - Aug 15 2022 :  10:48:55 AM  Show Profile
Hey Farmgirls~ Today is August 15th and I wanted to remind everyone that come September 1, we still start celebrating our Annual Farmgirl Apple Festival!! For those of you who are new here to our Chatroom community, we started this tradition in 2014 to kick off and celebrate Fall.

I will be sponsoring an Apple Swap and an Apple Giveaway so please sigh up if you are interested.

For those who would like to explore more about apples, we have an Apple Badge that you can work on this next month as well. It includes lots of fun activities to get you learning and enjoying this beloved and favorite fruit.

In past two years, we have been sharing information about lots of varieties of apples from our various regions of the US and Canada. We also share lots of yummy recipes, tidbits and photos of our areas and families. The fun part of learning more about apples, is you learn more about our American history. Apples that could be eaten, cooked and preserved came from Europe by early settlers and and fur traders. The only original apples here in America were astringent crab apples that even the Indians could not find useful.

The real origin of apples comes from the Tian Shan mountains of Kazakhstan in the temperate western foothills. The Silk Road that went from Rome to Xi'an in China , was the route traveled for trading purposes to acquire things like spices. Apples were discovered by both the horses and the traders making the journey. They were then brought back to Rome where they became very popular. The Romans then spread them to Europe where they flourished as well.

Did you know that Apples don't grow well from seeds? To create trees of eatible apples, they must be grafted. In the early 1700s, the American colonists learned this skill and began to establish nurseries of grafted trees. The new apple expertise soon had colonists planting apple trees on their farms as a basic food source to make cider and fruit that could be eaten, cooked, preserved and stored for long winter months.

Thomas Jefferson planted large groves of apple trees at Monticello and concentrated on both eating and cider making varieties. The Newtown Pippin was one of the most popular varieties from his orchards.

I am sure you have heard of the legendary Johnny Appleseed. He was really a man by the name of John Chapman who was an itinerant minister. He preached to small crowds as well as set up seedling nurseries throughout the Ohio Valley and the Midwest from the 1790s-1830s. Apples were a way of life!!

One more important note: Sunday September 25 will be our traditional Apple Pie Sunday Celebration!! Mark your calendars and think about what sort of apple pie recipe you would like to make this year. Be sure to share with us your ideas and tried and true apple pie favoites!

If you prefer using apples in a savory dish instead of a pie, please tell us all about your favorite ways you enjoy using the fruit.

For all newcomers this year to our Chatroom, we even have a mascot for our Farmgirl Apple Festival! MaryJane discovered an apple tree on her property that was over 100 years old. She took it to the Ag department at the University of Idaho at Moscow and they identified it as The Duchess of Oldenburg. The apple originated from the area of northern Germany that was sometimes part of the German state and other times part of the Russian state. The apple was named after the Russian Grand Duchess Catherine Pavlova who married German Duke George of Oldenburg when they lived in the duchy from 1784-1812. Originally the apple traces to an area west of Moscow and was known for being hardy enough to survive the long cold Russian winters. This cold hardy apple showed up in the United states in New York state around 1835 where Nurseryman Mr. Budd teamed up with Mr Gibb of Montreal, Canada
and started successful nurseries with this hardy cold weather apple variety.

MaryJane has now helped her old tree get healthier and stronger with lots of TLC and it has been producing fruit for her every Fall! She posted photos of the apple last year on Apple Festival links so check them out.

I look forward to enjoying lots of stories, recipes, and experiences with apples. If you grow them, please let us know what varieties you have. If you just love to eat apples and cook with them, let us know about your favorites.


Winnie #3109
Red Tractor Girl
Farm Sister of the Year 2014-2015
FGOTM- October 2018

levisgrammy
True Blue Farmgirl

9203 Posts

Denise
Beavercreek Ohio
USA
9203 Posts

Posted - Aug 15 2022 :  11:44:33 AM  Show Profile
I look forward to this festival every year. Thank you Winnie!

~Denise
Sister #43~1/18/2007

"I am a bookaholic and I have no desire to be cured."

"Home is where we find comfort, security, memories, friendship, hospitality, and above all, family. It is the place that deserves our commitment and loyalty." William J. Bennett

"Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." Psalm 119:105

http://www.ladybugsandlilacs.blogspot.com/
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YellowRose
True Blue Farmgirl

6746 Posts

Sara
Paris TX
USA
6746 Posts

Posted - Aug 15 2022 :  12:51:39 PM  Show Profile
Thanks, Winnie, for keeping the Apple Festival going. Looking forward to Apple Pie Sunday and searching through my cookbooks for just the perfect recipe.

Hugs, Sara "FarmGirl Sister" #6034 Aug 2014
FGOTM Sept 2015 & Feb 2019

Lord put your arm around my shoulders & your hand over my mouth.
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VT Oma
True Blue Farmgirl

322 Posts

Sheila
Greensboro Vermont
USA
322 Posts

Posted - Aug 15 2022 :  6:02:17 PM  Show Profile
I have never done or been to a Apple Festival. This sounds like fun count me in.
Thanks Winnie

Farmgirl sister #5766
Sheila
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StitchinWitch
True Blue Farmgirl

2122 Posts

Judith
Galt CA
USA
2122 Posts

Posted - Aug 15 2022 :  7:49:06 PM  Show Profile
We don't have an apple festival that I know but we have Apple Hill (actually many hills) where you can get a map and travel from farm to farm and try quite a variety of apples.

Judith

7932 FGOTM 6/21
I'm old and I do wear purple
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Red Tractor Girl
True Blue Farmgirl

6488 Posts

Winnie
Gainesville Fl
USA
6488 Posts

Posted - Aug 16 2022 :  10:26:03 AM  Show Profile
Welcome returning Farmgirl apple enthusiasts and newcomers! One would think that someone like myself who lives in Florida where apples don't grow wouldn't be such an apple devotee. But my secret comes from growing up in the Piedmont area of Virginia that rises into the Blue Ridge Mountains. Also, our go to apple orchard, when I was growing up, was on Monticello mountain where Thomas Jefferson had built his home with a clear view of Charlottesville where I grew up. As I mentioned above, Mr. Jefferson worked to cultivate successful apple varieties in the Virginia climate at his Monticello home orchards. One could say, that I have apples in my blood . Today, the area of Winchester , Va. in the NW corner of the state has long been an apple center. They are still processing Apple juice and applesauce under the label of White House. Next time you go to your grocer, see if White House apple juice is one of the choices on the shelf. The mid-Atlantic states have been successful apple, peach, and blackberry growers for hundreds of years. Virginia got a head start when John Smith landed in 1607 in Tidewater Virginia and planted seedlings he brought over from England. While many of those apples did not do make it in the Virginia weather, a few did and slowly colonists worked to find a way to grow new varieties that tolerated Virginia climate. One motivation for finding successful apples was the need to have plenty of apple cider on hand to drink daily. Because people didn't understand about water contamination from waste of humans and animals, most often water sources became contaminated and sources of disease like typhoid fever. Apple Cider was fermented and so the problematic bacteria could not thrive and thus was safe to drink. Even children were given cider to drink because of its safety.

Winnie #3109
Red Tractor Girl
Farm Sister of the Year 2014-2015
FGOTM- October 2018
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Dreamer42
True Blue Farmgirl

2654 Posts

April
Central Oregon
USA
2654 Posts

Posted - Aug 16 2022 :  6:44:37 PM  Show Profile
Thank you, Winnie, for always spreading APPLE cheer every year!! xo

Dreamer42
Farmgirl Sister #7038
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MaryJanesNiece
True Blue Farmgirl

6625 Posts

Krista
Utah
USA
6625 Posts

Posted - Aug 17 2022 :  1:18:35 PM  Show Profile
I love the apple festival! Winnie, you always make it such a fun experience. I visited a fruit stand last week that had baskets and baskets of different apples grown right around here. I can’t remember exactly but they had at least 15 different kinds of apples. We walked away with Granny Smith, Ambrosia, and Golden Delicious. We have finished all the apples now and need to head back for more.

Krista
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Red Tractor Girl
True Blue Farmgirl

6488 Posts

Winnie
Gainesville Fl
USA
6488 Posts

Posted - Aug 19 2022 :  12:28:52 PM  Show Profile
Krista, you hit the jackpot last week at your local fruit stand!! It sounds like you have some winners for the family to enjoy as well. Is it so much fun seeing all these red, green and yellow orbs linda up on shelves ready to purchase and take home to enjoy. And being able to purchase them locally makes for apples not picked too green and end up sour.

Winnie #3109
Red Tractor Girl
Farm Sister of the Year 2014-2015
FGOTM- October 2018
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Red Tractor Girl
True Blue Farmgirl

6488 Posts

Winnie
Gainesville Fl
USA
6488 Posts

Posted - Aug 19 2022 :  12:34:51 PM  Show Profile
Check out these adorable paper sandwich bags I found in the grocery store today,. Are they the cat's meow or what??!!



They are recyclable, freezer safe, and food safe with and waxed coating. Plus they have a sticky peel off tab so that they close up safely.

Winnie #3109
Red Tractor Girl
Farm Sister of the Year 2014-2015
FGOTM- October 2018
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YellowRose
True Blue Farmgirl

6746 Posts

Sara
Paris TX
USA
6746 Posts

Posted - Sep 02 2022 :  04:29:09 AM  Show Profile
Thanks, Winnie, for the sweet fall paper heart and apple postcard. The heart is now hanging on my wee seasonal tree. The postcard is in a basket with 3 small burlap bags with a felt apple on each. My kitchen table is now ready for a month of Apple Festival fun.

Hugs, Sara "FarmGirl Sister" #6034 Aug 2014
FGOTM Sept 2015 & Feb 2019

Lord put your arm around my shoulders & your hand over my mouth.
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YellowRose
True Blue Farmgirl

6746 Posts

Sara
Paris TX
USA
6746 Posts

Posted - Sep 03 2022 :  06:56:02 AM  Show Profile
Thanks, Grace, for the sweet red apple. It now hangs on my seasonal tree with Winnie's fall heart. Beginning to feel like apples and fall in my house.

Hugs, Sara "FarmGirl Sister" #6034 Aug 2014
FGOTM Sept 2015 & Feb 2019

Lord put your arm around my shoulders & your hand over my mouth.
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Red Tractor Girl
True Blue Farmgirl

6488 Posts

Winnie
Gainesville Fl
USA
6488 Posts

Posted - Sep 04 2022 :  08:32:35 AM  Show Profile
Sara, your apple decorations sound perfect for celebrating this month's Farmgirl Apple Festival! What I want to know is do you have your annual candy corn secured in some jar close by? I love the Brach's Autumn mix best because I love all the fall candy corn and the pumpkins. As of September 2, my bag was placed in a canning jar beside my computer. I just love to look at the colors and shapes and of course allow myself one or two pieces a day.

I am glad others are enjoying their fall Hearts of Hope too. I have a few on my little tree and several on my window bunting. I never tire of making them or looking at them.

Winnie #3109
Red Tractor Girl
Farm Sister of the Year 2014-2015
FGOTM- October 2018
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VT Oma
True Blue Farmgirl

322 Posts

Sheila
Greensboro Vermont
USA
322 Posts

Posted - Sep 04 2022 :  5:52:05 PM  Show Profile
Thanks Grace for the red apple I have it hanging on my copper 2 tier round tray on the top final which is a pumpkin. it covers that up and now is a apple tray. so great.

Sheila
Farmgirl #5766


Nichiren, "Winter Always Turns to Spring''
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nndairy
True Blue Farmgirl

2972 Posts

Heather
Wapakoneta Ohio
USA
2972 Posts

Posted - Sep 04 2022 :  6:14:56 PM  Show Profile
Last year was my first year dehydrating apples. I bought a huge bag (it may have been a bushel) of golden delicious and made some applesauce and dehydrated the rest. I just use them as a quick snack when we're busy on the farm. They were delicious. I've been out of them for a while so imagine my excitement when my mother in law tells me that there are apples at the farmers market :) They only had paula red left - she said they're her favorite. They're a bit soft for me but they taste ok so I bought a bunch to get started dehydrating. Problem is they taste TERRIBLE once they're dehydrated! I'm not sure why - I've found most fruit tastes a little sweeter to me once it's dehydrated. I thought maybe it was a left over covid thing (I still can't eat lettuce!) but I've had a few others try them and they agree. So, we're eating a lot of fresh apples and I fry them in butter and add a little maple syrup and cinnamon to them. Next time I'll get a smaller batch to test first LOL!

~Heather
Farmgirl Sister #4701
September 2014 Farmgirl of the Month


"The purpose of life is to enjoy every moment" - Yogi teabag
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nndairy
True Blue Farmgirl

2972 Posts

Heather
Wapakoneta Ohio
USA
2972 Posts

Posted - Sep 04 2022 :  6:20:09 PM  Show Profile
I forgot to mention - Johnny Appleseed made he was through my area. We have a network of 16 parks named the Johnny Appleseed park district. I remember learning about him in elementary school.

~Heather
Farmgirl Sister #4701
September 2014 Farmgirl of the Month


"The purpose of life is to enjoy every moment" - Yogi teabag
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VT Oma
True Blue Farmgirl

322 Posts

Sheila
Greensboro Vermont
USA
322 Posts

Posted - Sep 26 2022 :  09:46:47 AM  Show Profile
My hubby brought home a 5 gallon bucket of apples, I made some apple butter yesterday and then froze it. I will make my apple pie today, sorry I am a day late.

Sheila
Farmgirl #5766


Nichiren, "Winter Always Turns to Spring''
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VT Oma
True Blue Farmgirl

322 Posts

Sheila
Greensboro Vermont
USA
322 Posts

Posted - Sep 26 2022 :  12:07:06 PM  Show Profile
Hi Heather, I dehydrate apples every year that is odd that they tasted good but not when you dried them. mine are some what reversed I have dried some apples that did not taste that great but when I dehydrated them they were good not to sweet and not to sour. Did you leave the skins on? maybe that could have something to do with it.

16 parks named Johnny Appleseed park district that is so cute.

Sheila
Farmgirl #5766


Nichiren, "Winter Always Turns to Spring''
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nndairy
True Blue Farmgirl

2972 Posts

Heather
Wapakoneta Ohio
USA
2972 Posts

Posted - Sep 26 2022 :  12:52:36 PM  Show Profile
No, I peel all of them. I'm not sure what happened - usually dehydrating fruit makes it sweeter. I have some dehydrated Gala's that are much better!

~Heather
Farmgirl Sister #4701
September 2014 Farmgirl of the Month


"The purpose of life is to enjoy every moment" - Yogi teabag
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