End of the apple season

Zestar!, Ginger Gold, Chestnut Crab, Cortland, Sweet Sixteen, Honeycrisp, Haralson, Honeygold, Regent, Keepsake.  Ten varieties of apples on about 2600 trees, ripening in turn starting about August 20 and continuing through early October.  The trees were planted in 2003 and are just starting to really produce.  Farmer Bill and I are still learning how to manage the trees and manage the harvest.

2011 was a pretty good apple season.  Straight River Farm had only a couple of very short hail events with only minior damage; a light frost during blossom and a cool, wet spring kept the Zestar! and other early apples down in number -- but not grievously so.  We managed to keep most of the diseases and pests at bay and harvested a large crop of salable apples.  It's October 30 and virtually all of the apples have been sold.  Farmer Bill may take a load downtown one more Saturday, but that will be it.  The large cooler will be emptied, cleaned, and turned off for the winter.  The preparation-for-winter farm work has already begun and will continue for several weeks.  Strawberries will be covered with straw, fields will be plowed, hoop houses emptied, machinery winterized, the orchard mowed.  Enough work for Farmer Bill and a couple of men through November.  Farmer Bill is looking forward to being able to stay at the farm every day & work on taking care of the place.  The shorter days -- and no markets to get to -- mean being able to sleep until 7:00 a.m. most days.  Pure luxury.