I'm not sure how or where I first came across the concept of Apple Cider Syrup. To be honest, I have never tasted or even seen it anywhere else!  As a fan of traditional slow cooking, I have always been fascinated by the creative ways cooks and colonists used to preserve and enjoy bounty from their fields, pastures and gardens. Some focused internet research has helped provide insight and history into this fascinating product, like this Ark of Taste summary from Slow Food USA.  Interestingly, I have not (yet) found Canadian pioneer or current examples of Apple Cider Syrup production. 

These days, we have been focusing on dormant pruning, taking advantage of every possible day the weather permits.  Pruning is an important part of orchard maintenance to maintain the structure, health and productivity of the trees. 

​That sprawling heap of branches is a by-product of our annual dormant pruning efforts! We pick up the cuttings under the trees as pruning progresses, pile them onto a wagon and haul them over to the brush pile.  

In fact, the brush pile in this photo is showing only some of the cuttings from one year's pruning effort...the dark circle of ashes in front left was from approved open-air burnings we did on days that were windstill and damp. Of course, we notify the local fire department each time so they can authorize the burn! It's all about responsible farming stewardship.

And there they are! Still-dormant fruit buds waiting for the spring sun and warmth to coax them into developing lovely fragrant apple blossoms!  With good weather, proper pollination and further protection from pests and disease, they will grow into beautiful apples.  

There's lots more orchard work to come during the rest of the growing season till we get there...Be sure to come back and see us during the fall harvest to see how these little buds came along!

Our main orchard on 5 acres is made up of 1100 mature trees and 200 young trees we planted to replace ones that are no longer healthy and productive.  Our trees are semi-standard, semi-dwarf and dwarf types that grow 5 to 15 feet tall. We prune them annually to maintain their structure, health and productivity, paying special attention to encourage apples within easy reach for pick-your-own visitors of all ages including kids.  Larger commercial apple orchards have moved to densely-planted spindle trees grown along trellis and wires for maximum efficiency and production.  We have stayed with traditional free-standing trees to provide a more traditional orchard setting and fun pick-your-own experience. 

In 2009, we purchased more farmland to increase our capacity. After improving the land with drainage, clearing and tillage, we started planting young trees and our new orchard is now up to 900 trees, some of which are now starting to produce apples.

We use a blend of organic and conventional methods:

• A minimal spray program using Integrated Pest Management (IPM) as recommended by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture
• Combining organic and synthetic products, selecting those with lowest impact to the environment and beneficial insects
• Managing our orchard to proactively minimize and mitigate pest and disease issues, eg: pruning, mowing, thinning
• Monitor pest levels using special insect traps and lures for determining when and how to use control methods
• Mowing the grass under the trees to avoid the use of herbicides in the Pick-Your-Own area and provide food for bees and beneficial insects
• When planting replacement trees, choosing varieties that are more disease resistant (eg, MacFree, Liberty, Priscilla) to reduce the need for spraying
• Enhancing our farm's beneficial management practices, including several projects via the Canada-Ontario Environmental Farm Plan like planting spruce trees as shelterbelt, constructing two farm ponds for water management and irrigation, and investing in low-drift spray towers to help protect the environment
• Farm-scaping to encourage natural habitat for wildlife and biodiversity, eg: Milkweed for monarch butterflies, clover for bees, ponds and wetlands for birds, frogs and insects

Over the years, we have welcomed thousands of families, couples and groups visiting our farm from the Kingston area as well as Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal. 

We work hard to provide a well-maintained orchard, quality fruit and a hands-on apple-picking experience that provides fun and learning for all.   

Our Pick-Your-Own starts early September and runs until about middle of October (while there are still enough apples on the trees!)

A few years ago, a woman called me from somewhere in Northeastern United States. She had bought some apples from us during a vacation in Ontario and raved about them being most amazing apple she had ever tasted - she just had to call us to find out what unique variety it was. 

Based on her description of the apple and the time of her visit, I was able to tell her that she had bought a bag of our McIntosh apples.  She was absolutely astonished and it took some convincing to help her realize that it was indeed the good old 'Mac' that had blown her away!  

This is not an isolated story.  While many of our existing customers love the Macs, just as many new ones come into our store saying 'I hate Macs'. We just say 'Here try one’ -- the fact is they have never tasted this fabulous apple when it’s fresh-picked.  Once they do, many wonder out loud why the ones they buy in the grocery stores are so disappointing, even when they are sold as ‘new crop’ apples in the fall. 

Learn why the McIntosh apple deserves our love and respect! It traces its roots to a tree found by John McIntosh growing wild in 1811 on his farm in the eastern Ontario hamlet of Dundela, about 70 km southeast of Ottawa.  To this day Canada is known around the world for this great variety of apple.  

Here's some more neat facts about the McIntosh apple: 

• 2011 was the 200th anniversary of the McIntosh apple
• Every McIntosh tree and apple in the world is a descendant of the original tree
• Many other varieties stem from the McIntosh - including Melba, Lobo, Cortland, Empire, Spartan and Macoun  - to name a few
• The McIntosh apple represents approximately 25% of Ontario's total apple production
• The last-known McIntosh tree grown from cuttings of the original Mac 150 years ago died in 2011, but more cuttings were taken to keep this great lineage going

As explained by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Mother Nature has an remarkable way to move trees into dormancy and preparing them for extremely cold temperatures. Amazingly, the plant tissue actually moves water from inside its cells into the spaces between the cells.  Why? So that the ice crystals don't damage the cell walls and to allow the cells contents to become denser and actually reduce their freezing point, similar to anti-freeze.  By mid to late January trees have reached their maximum cold hardiness which is normally when we have reached the coldest winter days. 

Late in the dormant season is when we prune our trees to help shape and invigorate the trees for the coming growing season. We use both air-powered pruning equipment and hand shears. However this winter the extreme cold and deep snow delayed our start of winter pruning later than usual -- plus it’s best to delay pruning to early spring when the risk of severe temperature drops has diminished to reduce the risk of winter injury. 

Most apple trees are very tolerant to even extreme cold up to -30C when they are in full dormancy, especially if stays consistently cold and without erratic temperature swings. Remember the winter of 2012? An unseasonably warm winter followed by cold snaps in late spring devastated the apple harvest in most parts of Ontario as well as the northeastern United States.  The Kingston Whig Standard visited us to learn how local apple crops were affected. 

So far this winter, we haven’t had any ‘January thaw’, which is actually a good thing. Still, winter injury or cold damage can can reduce yields, kill the tree immediately, or cause a shorter tree life expectancy by making the tree more susceptible to pests (ie. cankers and borers). This type of damage won’t be visible until the growing season starts.