| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Red Tractor Girl |
Posted - Aug 26 2023 : 08:48:16 AM
Hey Farmgirls~ Today is August 26th 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 years, we have been sharing information about lots of varieties of apples from our various regions of the US, Canada, and Australia. 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 edible 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. Apple tree planting was a way of life for this legendary man.
One more important note: Sunday September 24 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 favorites.
Or, 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 where 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.
Below is a photo of one of MaryJane's Duchess of Oldenburg apples. Isn't it beautiful??
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Winnie #3109
Red Tractor Girl
Farm Sister of the Year 2014-2015
FGOTM- October 2018 |
| 2 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| windypines |
Posted - Aug 27 2023 : 02:41:10 AM
All the apple history is wonderful to learn. Thanks Winnie.
Farming in WI
Michele
FGOTM June2019
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| levisgrammy |
Posted - Aug 26 2023 : 10:38:15 AM
Love this festival and this wonderful time of year. I haven't met an apple I didn't love.
~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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