| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| ceejay48 |
Posted - Feb 02 2016 : 12:40:10 PM
Hey Farmgirls,
I'm working on submitting my application for the APPLES Merit Badge. I basically grew up in an apple orchard as my dad raised several varieties and we sold them by the truckloads. He also made cider on a commercial cider press and sold that "nectar of the gods" by gallon after gallon. His apples and his cider were sought after by many, many people. He has been gone now for quite some time and the orchards are owned by other folks, but you can still tell the old-timers that these are "Gaylord's Apples"!
TWO THINGS that I didn't know and have learned recently are:
1) the origin of apples was China. Even though I grew up “in an apple orchard” I never really knew that origin.
2) the Red Delicious variety was “perfected” in the State of Washington. While I knew Washington was a state where apples were a primary crop I didn’t know this. I did know that there was somewhat of a “competition” between Colorado (which is where our orchards are and a great apple state) and Washington for apples!
Thanks for letting me share!
CJ
These are some Romes and Golden Delicious (with a kiss)from the orchard
..from the barefoot farmgirl in SW Colorado...sister chick #665.
2010 Farmgirl Sister of the Year
Mother Hen: FARMGIRLS SOUTHWEST HENHOUSE
my aprons - http://www.facebook.com/FarmFreshAprons
living life - www.snippetscja.blogspot.com
from my heart - www.fromacelticheart.blogspot.com
from my hubby - www.aspenforge.blogspot.com |
| 25 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| fox |
Posted - Nov 06 2018 : 3:26:40 PM
It looks like your family property was turned into a country club. The farm I used to go to as a kid was in Milwaukie and it looks like only the newer house (although still quite old) is still there. The house where my mom was born was saved as a historic home but was moved to 12006 SE McLoughlin Blvd. Was that the original house that has turned into the country club?
Farmgirl sister #7732 |
| debbieklann |
Posted - Nov 06 2018 : 2:35:59 PM
Joanne and Krista....from what I understand, there are a couple of the original trees left where the old orchard/homestead used to be. It's now the Waverly Country Club. My husband and I were in that area a couple of months ago for an Oregon Trail celebration and thought we'd drive by to see what we could see. Unfortunately, we drove past the exit and ended up turning around and not going to the country club. Our cousin had told us that if you call ahead of time, they will let you in to see the family history display but NO DENIM FABRIC is allowed on the grounds....AT ALL!!! Since we were both wearing blue jeans, we decided it probably wouldn't do us any good to stop!
Debbie Klann
Farmgirl Sister #770
2018 Farmgirl of the Year
"Well behaved women seldom make history"....Laurel Thatcher Ulrich |
| fox |
Posted - Nov 06 2018 : 2:23:07 PM
That would be cool. I went on google earth and it looks like the fields, the orchard, the apples, black walnut trees, and the original farm house have all been torn out and replaced by housing. Only the newer farm house remains without the barn or milk house. What a shame!!
Farmgirl sister #7732 |
| MaryJanesNiece |
Posted - Oct 22 2018 : 12:12:29 PM
Joanne, that would be so cool if the apples you ate were Debbie's ancestors! It's amazing how we find so many connections in this world.
Krista |
| fox |
Posted - Oct 20 2018 : 3:49:39 PM
I was very interested to find out from debbieklann that her ancestor brought apple and other
trees to Milwaukie OR. I used to spend summers up there on a farm and there was a fantastic apple tree and
wonderful black walnut that had been planted in the mid 1800’s, maybe from her relative. It was also interested
to find that the red delicious that I remembered had been great, and now find I’m not that fond of them, that they
have actually been changed and not the same apple I remembered.
Farmgirl sister #7732 |
| Janice |
Posted - May 08 2016 : 8:54:52 PM
I can't believe how many different kind of apple their are. 'Lady in Red' is a new one we carry at the very small chain market I work at. I remember as a kid visiting my Grandparent farm in Eugene, OR. picking apples off the tree in the summer time and eating very large red delicious apple they grew on their farm. It was so large I could never finish it.
Janice Vintage Artist |
| Red Tractor Girl |
Posted - Apr 16 2016 : 4:25:35 PM
Debbie, what fun that you can visit the home in Salem, Iowa. It makes the story so much more personal when you can stand in a place that your relative did so many decades ago!
Winnie #3109
Red Tractor Girl
Farm Sister of the Year 2014-2015 |
| debbieklann |
Posted - Apr 15 2016 : 10:49:03 AM
Thank you! From what I understand, there is no Luelling home in Milaukie, where the orchard was. Unfortunately, there is now the Waverly Country Club where the orchard used to be :( Although, they do have a large display at the Country Club about him and the orchard and there are some original trees left in the area.
Before he left for Oregon with his nursery stock, he and his family lived in Salem, Iowa. His home there was built in 1840 and is still standing. He was a Quaker and an abolitionist and used his home as part of the Underground Railroad. It's now a park of the National Park Service and is open to tours. My husband's aunt and uncle were able to go through it several years ago on a road trip and sent us pictures...it's pretty cool! We have that on our list of places to see....and it's SO CLOSE to the John Deere Factory in Moline, Illinois!!!! hahaha That would be quite the road trip! |
| ceejay48 |
Posted - Apr 13 2016 : 12:56:56 PM
Love your story, Debbie!
My dad would have loved it too . . . perhaps he knew about it. He was an orchardman extraordinaire!
CJ
..from the barefoot farmgirl in SW Colorado...sister chick #665.
2010 Farmgirl Sister of the Year
Mother Hen: FARMGIRLS SOUTHWEST HENHOUSE
my aprons - http://www.facebook.com/FarmFreshAprons
living life - www.snippetscja.blogspot.com
from my heart - www.fromacelticheart.blogspot.com
from my hubby - www.aspenforge.blogspot.com |
| Red Tractor Girl |
Posted - Apr 13 2016 : 06:27:25 AM
Wow, Debbie, this is a wonderful family story about the beginning of apple orchards across the U.S.!! Thank-you for sharing this fun bit of history with us. Does the original homestead still belong in the family? Can you actually go and visit this place where Mr.Henderson Luelling lived? Fascinating!!
Winnie #3109
Red Tractor Girl
Farm Sister of the Year 2014-2015 |
| SouthForty |
Posted - Apr 12 2016 : 7:34:13 PM
How cool is that, Debbie?! That sounds like an awesome first date conversation. . . I see why he was a "keeper!"
SouthForty, MJFG#3794
~*~ You can put your boots in the oven but that don't make 'em biscuits! ~*~  |
| debbieklann |
Posted - Apr 12 2016 : 7:03:47 PM
Hello Sisters!
I am just getting around to applying for my beginner badge in Apples! I have a fun story to share. My husband's greatx3 grandfather, Henderson Luelling, brought the first fruit trees to Oregon from Iowa in a covered wagon in 1847. He had 700 1 year old grafted trees in a specially built wagon and somehow managed to keep them alive until they got to the now Milwaukie area of Oregon in the Willamette Valley. He established the first nursery there in 1848. I believe some of the original trees are still there! Besides apples, he also had pears, cherries, peaches, quince, black walnut and hickory trees and also grapes, currants and gooseberries. The story has it that the Native Americans that they met along the way thought that a man who could carry such living things as trees must have a special "magic" and they honored him and his family and the others travelling in their party.
Many of the varieties that he brought with him are old and I hadn't heard of them before....Blue Pear Main, Gloria Mundi, Red Check Pippin, Rhode Island Greening and Seek No Further. Some I did recognize....Gravenstein, Newton and Winesap.
While he was in Oregon, he and his brother, Seth, developed the Bing Cherry that we all love and named it after one of their Manchurian workers. It's a part of my husband's family's history that they are especially proud of....now that I think of it, I think my husband told me this on our first date!!!! Thanks for letting me share! |
| Red Tractor Girl |
Posted - Mar 31 2016 : 05:50:52 AM
Suzy, I grew up in Charlottesville, Va. and yes Virginia produces wonderful apples! You are going to have a lot of fun this coming Fall searching out the farm stands and trying out some local favorites. I am looking forward to hearing about what you discover in your area. I hope you will be sure to share some photos with us here come September and let us know what your favorites are!
Winnie #3109
Red Tractor Girl
Farm Sister of the Year 2014-2015 |
| ceejay48 |
Posted - Mar 30 2016 : 12:08:39 PM
Oh Suzy, you'll get it! I know a lot about apples, but I don't know all there is to know!
Keep on keeping on!
CJ
..from the barefoot farmgirl in SW Colorado...sister chick #665.
2010 Farmgirl Sister of the Year
Mother Hen: FARMGIRLS SOUTHWEST HENHOUSE
my aprons - http://www.facebook.com/FarmFreshAprons
living life - www.snippetscja.blogspot.com
from my heart - www.fromacelticheart.blogspot.com
from my hubby - www.aspenforge.blogspot.com |
| disTizmoi |
Posted - Mar 30 2016 : 06:20:51 AM
ceejay -
We just moved to a small town near Front Royal VA (also a small town but bigger than where we live.) Near, if not in Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. I used to live in Southern Maryland. This area of VA is famous for apples. I'm looking forward to starting my Apple badge because all I know about apples is the type I like to eat (Fuji) and the type I like to bake with (Granny Smith). I also know my Dad likes Macintosh. That's it! I know, pathetic. :) But this will soon pass...
thanks and enjoy!
Suzy
It is ME...Suzy!
Farmgirl #6922
"Oh my goodness...go play outside!" said her Mom |
| Red Tractor Girl |
Posted - Mar 16 2016 : 05:57:37 AM
Connie, I hope you will continue to find your apple badge fun and helpful! I live here in Florida where apples do not grow, but like you, I grew up in a state( Virginia) where apples have thrived for hundreds of years. Apples that grow for production lose a lot of flavor in exchange for skin color and longevity of shelf life. You are not imaging that your apple butter and eating apples are missing something. They are:FLAVOR! The apple badge was inspired by me and I wrote out the requirements based on the past few years of exploring more deeply about this beloved fruit. The more I read and learn, the more I want to know. It is true that apples and their uses are intimately tied to our American dinner tables throughout the history of our nation. We started a new tradition here last September by proclaiming that September was Apple Festival Month at MJF! We had a wonderful celebration together culminating in our latest Farm tradition, Apple Pie Sunday which will always be celebrated the fourth Sunday of September . Oh my, the apple pie and apple recipes that were shared were inspiring! Enjoy your Apple badge work and be sure to jump in here for September 2016 Apple Festival at MJF!!
Winnie #3109
Red Tractor Girl
Farm Sister of the Year 2014-2015 |
| Gypsyjewelcb |
Posted - Mar 15 2016 : 7:09:31 PM
Here I am going after my APPLES merit badge. I grew up in Moscow, Idaho, so I a partial to the wild apples that would grow along side roads and mom and I had a old abandoned orchard we would go to and pick from(with permission), Grandma had several on her property as well. Now that I am living in Texas, I find myself buying my apples, from the store, which I am not very happy with. The apple butter I make from wild apples is much better than the store bought apples. I usually use Fuji or Gala apples here, I also like honey crisp, and jazz apples to snack on when I can get them here. In my beginning quest for my badge I have found it very interesting the origin of the apple of where it came from, and that hard cider was the colonial choice beverage.
-Connie B.
...I figure if a girl wants to be a legend, she should go ahead and be one. -Calamity Jane |
| ceejay48 |
Posted - Feb 18 2016 : 11:57:41 AM
Winnie, I would like to do the same thing.
My daughter and I have had the privilege of driving into Wyoming, Montana, Idaho and Washington, meeting farmgirls along the way. Our glamping road trip in 2013 took us THREE days of driving to get from her house in Phoenix to Spokane, Washington. And, I had to drive ONE day to get from my house in southwest Colorado to get to her house, so we could start our trip together.
We rented a van for that trip and put 4000 miles on it in that road trip!
Yup, lots of driving!
CJ
..from the barefoot farmgirl in SW Colorado...sister chick #665.
2010 Farmgirl Sister of the Year
Mother Hen: FARMGIRLS SOUTHWEST HENHOUSE
my aprons - http://www.facebook.com/FarmFreshAprons
living life - www.snippetscja.blogspot.com
from my heart - www.fromacelticheart.blogspot.com
from my hubby - www.aspenforge.blogspot.com |
| Red Tractor Girl |
Posted - Feb 18 2016 : 06:16:14 AM
I am sure Fall is quite lovely in Colorado, CeeJay and maybe one day I can make it out. Thanks for the invitation too! If it was possible, I would love to drive all over the US and just go and visit Farmgirls along the way. It would be such a fun trip, but quite a bit of driving!
Winnie #3109
Red Tractor Girl
Farm Sister of the Year 2014-2015 |
| ceejay48 |
Posted - Feb 17 2016 : 12:05:43 PM
Winnie,
Well, you just need to come my way. Fall is BEAUTIFUL in Colorado! It's my favorite season! You'd probably love it!
CJ
..from the barefoot farmgirl in SW Colorado...sister chick #665.
2010 Farmgirl Sister of the Year
Mother Hen: FARMGIRLS SOUTHWEST HENHOUSE
my aprons - http://www.facebook.com/FarmFreshAprons
living life - www.snippetscja.blogspot.com
from my heart - www.fromacelticheart.blogspot.com
from my hubby - www.aspenforge.blogspot.com |
| Red Tractor Girl |
Posted - Feb 17 2016 : 11:50:48 AM
CeeJay, it would be awesome to come in the Fall to pick apples with you and make a BakeOver together!! It is a shame I live so cotton picking' far away!!
Winnie #3109
Red Tractor Girl
Farm Sister of the Year 2014-2015 |
| ceejay48 |
Posted - Feb 17 2016 : 10:22:12 AM
Hey Carole,
McIntosh apples are a favorite around here too! That was one variety my dad raised in our orchards.
They'd be good for a BakeOver!
CJ
..from the barefoot farmgirl in SW Colorado...sister chick #665.
2010 Farmgirl Sister of the Year
Mother Hen: FARMGIRLS SOUTHWEST HENHOUSE
my aprons - http://www.facebook.com/FarmFreshAprons
living life - www.snippetscja.blogspot.com
from my heart - www.fromacelticheart.blogspot.com
from my hubby - www.aspenforge.blogspot.com |
| ceridwen |
Posted - Feb 17 2016 : 08:04:22 AM
CJ, Wow! Your Apple Bakeover looks delish! Thank you for sharing your recipe!
I "should" work on my apple badge. We have an, well they claim to be the largest "Mcintosh" apple orchard in the world, just down the road from me. Love to shop there. They have a wonderful boutique full of apple theme items, books, cookbooks, pie plates etc... a bakery .... Oh and coolers full of a variety of apples. If that wasn't enough to entice you, the ladies who work there are all quilters! They are presently closed for the season, but should open back up soon! Miss not being able to go there!
Thanks again for the encouragement to check my badge binder to see where I left off!
Cheers!
Carole
Farmgirl Sister 3610 - Nov 7/2011
http://www.carolesquiltingetc.com
http://www.fibrejunction.com |
| DandeeRose |
Posted - Feb 16 2016 : 2:57:38 PM
Thanks CJ and Winnie!
Many Blessings- Alicia #5232
https://derbauernhofsite.wordpress.com
https://www.etsy.com/shop/DandeeRose Farmgirl Accessories and more!
Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass; it's about learning to dance in the rain." |
| ceejay48 |
Posted - Feb 16 2016 : 07:35:58 AM
P.S. Winnie, you could come visit me in the fall when it's apple picking time and we can go pick apples together, then make an Apple BakeOver and eat it together! Whatcha think??
Any other farmgirls are welcome to do the same . . . late September, early October!
CJ
..from the barefoot farmgirl in SW Colorado...sister chick #665.
2010 Farmgirl Sister of the Year
Mother Hen: FARMGIRLS SOUTHWEST HENHOUSE
my aprons - http://www.facebook.com/FarmFreshAprons
living life - www.snippetscja.blogspot.com
from my heart - www.fromacelticheart.blogspot.com
from my hubby - www.aspenforge.blogspot.com |
