It’s peak apple picking season in northern Virginia. I was thinking about posting tips for apple picking but found that there are already some excellent posts out there… my favorite is 10 Tips for Organizing an Apple Picking Outing with Kids.   One of the tips is to plan to get lots of apples and to plan what you’ll do with them.   So, to help with those planning efforts, here is a list of apples ripe in northern Virginia in mid-September.  We’ve added photos, descriptions of their qualities and tasting notes.  Now you’re ready to pick lots of apples!

At Great Country Farms, all of our apple trees have been planted in the last 20 years so we are considered a “modern orchard” with dwarf trees designed for easy pick your own.  No ladders required!   Our varieties are names that you may not recognize but they have been derived from some of the best classic apples.  Take a wander through our varieties below and decide which options are best for you and your family.

Candy Crisp® -Coming  in Mid September

• Description:  This glossy yellow beauty is shaped like a Red Delicious apple with the top wider than the bottom and knobs on its flooring.
• Parentage: This tree was discovered as a chance seedling growing in a Red Delicious orchard in New York.  Hence, Candy Crisp is thought to be related to and has a similar shape to Red Delicious but the skin color is golden yellow.
• Tasting Notes: Firm, juicy and sweet with a somewhat pear-like flavor.
• Uses: Sweeter  apple great for eating & dessert baking. Keeps well for 1-2 months refrigerated.

 

 

Jonafree-Ripe Early September

• Description: deep red with creamy, white flesh and crisp, juicy eating quality similar to old-fashioned Jonathan, with 100% Jonathan flavor.
• Parentage:Introduced in 1965 this apple was developed as a Purdue Rutger Illinois Coop from Golden Delicious, Jonathan and Rome Beauty  PRI 855-102 x NJ 31
• Tasting Notes: Flavor is Jonathan-like, but less acidic.
• Use: Great for Eating and holds up nicely for baking.  Great lunch box size apples.

 

 

Jonagold – Ripe in Early September

• Description: this lovely red apple often shows golden striations.
• Parentage:Golden Delicious and Jonathan
• Tasting Notes: The Jonagold apple has a balanced blend of both its parents’ flavors offering the sweet-tart taste found in the Jonathan and the aromatic honey-like scent of the Golden Delicious.
• Use: A great choice for cider, juicing and cooking. This apple stores well for 1-2 months refrigerated.

 

Ruby John – Coming in Mid-September

• Description: This more petite apples is deep red with creamy, white flesh and crisp, juicy eating quality similar to old-fashioned Jonathan, with 100% Jonathan flavor.
• Parentage:Sport  (natural mutation) of Jonathan
• Tasting Notes: Biting in reveals, well, a Jonathan which is an old classic, sweet and balanced and cidery, with flashes of spice.
• Use: This smaller apples is great for lunches and snacks.

Shizuka – Coming late September

• Description: This tall, large, yellow-hued apple that is mostly yellow with some green or red flush.
• Parentage:Golden Delicious cross with Indo (Same parents as the Mutsu Apple)
• Tasting Notes: This descendant of the golden has an almost buttery flavor that is mostly sweet with a hint of tart.
• Uses: Eating, apple sauce and great for making dried apple rings.

Now that you know all about the apples ready to pick this season, here are some great links to Savor Apple Recipes and 15 Things to Do with all the apples you pick this fall.  Enjoy!

 

 

Great Country Farms is celebrating thirty years of events and pick-your-own! In the early years,  Great Country Farms started with U-Pick flowers and included flowers in CSA deliveries; now, we have decided to bring sunflowers back in an even bigger way!

 

This year’s event still includes a pick-your-own sunflower field that the entire family can enjoy, but there is more!  We have expanded the sunflower season by including brunch, yoga, wine dinners and photo contest opportunities at each of these new activities.

If you like your summer days to be a little more sunny, this post is for you.

 

4 Best ways to spend the summer in the sunflowers:

 

 

 

      

 

1. Kick off the sunflower fun at Great Country Farms with a pick-your-own and a sunflower photo contest.

 

While you are enjoying yourself in the patches, snap a few photos. You can use these photos to enter the sunflower photo challenge, where you are entered in the chance to win big.  Prizes include Fan of the Farm Season Passes to Great Country Farms, and the Grand Prize is a night’s stay for up to 6 guests in our Blue Door Cottage on the farm.

 

 

 Pro Tips on taking photos in the sunflower fields:  Get creative.  Find the longest-stemmed sunflowers. Bring some fun props like sunglasses or signs. Think outside the sunflower field. Check out these tips for stunning sunflower photos.

 

 

 

2. Join Bluemont Vineyard for a Sunflower Brunch at The Stable.

The Stable at Bluemont Vineyard is our private event facility,  nestled among our hillside vineyards. This three-course brunch features fresh fruits and vegetables from Great Country Farms and baked goods from our onsite Knead it Bakery.

Pro Tip:  The best wine pairing for your brunch: To get the full summer feel, we recommend pairing this brunch with the popular ‘Summer Peach’ wine! The subtly sweet, juicy peach wine will bring out all the summer flavors in this farm-to-table brunch!

       

3. Make it an outstanding date night at our Sunflower Dinner on the Mountain outdoor dining event.  

 

We are setting the table to welcome guests to celebrate the land and the food and wine cultivated here.  Sunflower decor will capture your imagination as your gather at The Reserve Tasting Room at Bluemont Vineyard to share a meal and conversation.  This open-air, four-course, farm-to-table experience features the freshest flavors of summer. The best part? Each course is paired with a Bluemont wine that compliments the dish.  Let the menu inspire you to let the sunshine in.

    

What makes this experience different:  Every guest will be seated at our outdoor communal farm table, inviting unique conversation. Guests will share good company paired with culinary delights, and views of the valley and enjoy the radiance of our sunflower decor.

 

Pro Tip:  Extend your stay at one of our four Cottages at Bluemont Vineyard located here in Bluemont, VA. 

 

   

 

4. Yoga! What better way to start the day? Boost your serotonin happiness at Morning Yoga with the backdrop of the Loudoun Valley Vista.

 

At the start of the day, while the sun is still rising on our eastern-facing slopes, with yoga designed to connect you to the farm and mountainside. Breathe in the sunshine and sunflowers.  Blend your movements with the sounds of nature, then relax into a closing savasana.

 

After your morning practice, savor a glass of wine to continue your relaxation on a peaceful, tasteful, wine-filled morning.

 

Pro Tip: Reserve a table at the Sunflower Brunch following class to re-energize with some farm-to-table fare. 

 

What is Pumpkin Chunkin’ ?

All fall things must come to an end, but the fun still continues after Halloween night at Great Country Farms.  This event started in the 1990s after farmer Mark saw a pumpkin chunkin’ event on TV and said we could do that.  After a crazy busy October season, it seems a stretch to add on another weekend but the smashing of pumpkins at the end of the season has an uplifting affect on the farmhands.  There is just something about being able to release of all the pressure and stress and close out the season with a good smash.  We believe our guests appreciate the outlet value as well.  When was the last time you were told, ” Go Ahead, Smash it?!”

How Can you Join the Smashing Good Time?

Bring your pumpkins out for a smashing good time! There are several stations around the farm where you can drop your pumpkin and even watch it fly. We have a zip line where you can push your pumpkin and watch it soar through the sky until it smashes, a silo drop for a dramatic fall, or you can leave your pumpkin at the biggest of them all, the pumpkin drop zone and watch it be thrown off of our 40ft lift.   Some have described this ultimate smash as “upside-down fireworks”.  

The choice is yours! While you’re at the farm, you can also enjoy apple cider donuts, wagon rides, the Corn Maze & 12 acre farm play area.  The weekend is even more fun as we add on the option to fire apples from our cannons, live cider pressing demos, marshmallow roasting and live music for Saturday & Sunday, Nov 6 & 7, 2021.

When can you smash with us?

We will be celebrating with pumpkin smashing November 5 & 6, 2022 from 10AM-5PM. Come and enjoy the beautiful weather outside and bring your jack-o’-lantern friends along for one last fling! For times, details and tickets, visit our website and get the inside scoop to plan your visit. This is one last hoo-rah you won’t want to miss. 

What do we do with all of the smashed pumpkins?

Never fear there is no waste here!   All of the smashed pumpkin goodness goes to our animal friends for their harvest feast. It is the best time of the year for them. When the animals have had their fill, the remaining smashed pumpkins go directly into our compost to reuse the nutrients to help build future soil here at the farm. We don’t know about you, but chunkin’ pumpkins at the farm sounds like a lot more fun than just leaving them outside for the trash. Trust us, our animal friends and next year’s crops will thank you!

 

The art of cider making has been around for a very long time. In fact, it used to be very common for every family farm to have a cider press for pressing, fermenting, and preserving their produce. We were lucky to spend time chatting about all things cider with Farmer Bob (Bob Zurschmeide) also known as Pawpaw, the one who shared a love of farming with his children,  grandchildren and now his great grand children for 4 generations of impact on farming. When Pawpaw stumbled across an old cider press in a field in Indiana over 60 years ago, he knew there was something special about it. He gave it a good cleaning, fixed a few details, and built a strong wood frame to hold it together. At that moment, he had no idea of the good use this machine would get. Its frame is still strong and standing at Great Country Farms  and is used at the annual September Apple Harvest Fest for Cider Pressing Demonstrations.

Then:

After recovering the press and making it his own, Bob has ventured with this large, heavy, apple press across the country not once, but twice! He and his wife, Faye Zurschmeide, have used it to make their own wine by pressing grapes, juice with apples, and cider vinegar to help preserve vegetables and produce. This press is all cast iron and has the year, 1865,  it was made engraved in the exterior. Using an older model press requires more work and time. It is a slower process because cider is produced in batch quantities. The process includes loading the apples, using power and speed to start the process, and then allowing the juices to press and then repeating over again. Pawpaw explained that today, an apple pressing machine is continuous which means the conveyor belt is always loading apples and doing the powerful work. This makes it a much simpler and more efficient process. One bushel of apples will produce about a gallon of cider when using the older press model.

Now: 

Time has passed and technology has taken speed by creating several efficient models for apple pressing. The two most common presses used in the cider-making industry today are a belt press or a bladder press. Each of these presses can produce up to three times the amount of the older model press. 

1. Belt Press- A belt press runs off of electricity. It is a continuous process that rolls out each ounce of juice. The continuous process makes it an easier process because you save cleaning until the very end.

2. Bladder Press- This press uses air and water pressure to create a softer process for pressing apples. A bladder press is often used for grapes in wine production. The great thing about a bladder press is that it uses much less water and allows more control during pressing cycles.

No matter which press is being used, it is much easier and faster than hand spinning the apple press with each small batch. The amount of cider produced at one time does depend on the quality and softness of the apples as well as the variety. Overall yields run between 130-185 gallons a ton based upon apple variety and condition.

The Future:

The cider industry is slowly making a comeback. At Great Country Farms we press fresh apple juice for the whole family. Our cider is boxed and bagged air-tight to create a long-lasting freshness that keeps it drinkable for 6 months to a year.

Virginia Cider Week started in 2012 when the Virginia House of Delegates and the state Senate passed House Joint Resolution 105 to designate the full week before Thanksgiving as Cider Week in Virginia.

Since then, Virginia Cideries have celebrated Virginia Cider Week through festivals, tastings, pairing dinners, workshops and open houses at venues throughout the state.   Our neighbors at Henway Hard Cider also create refreshing seasonal hard ciders with flavors such as Apple Cider Donut, Concord Grape, and Peach.  Henway also provides a unique opportunity to learn about cider from the orchard to the glass in their seasonal Graft to Glass Tours.  Join one of our orchard managers and mixologists to tour the grafting field, orchard and tasting room.  

Plan your visit this winter to pick you some cider to take home and cozy up by the fire and sip on fresh-pressed apples in your glass at Henway with Winter Spice. Sip back and enjoy the farm-fresh apples pressed to perfection!

The history of our races:

Some researchers question how we have the leanest bacon in Loudoun County, our secret is kept in the Stall of Fame. The Stall of Fame is home to some of our all time greatest racers: Tom ‘Boar’ady, Peyton ‘Hamm’ing, Kim ‘Pork’dashian, and ‘Piggy Minaj’. We even successfully predicted Presidential races including ‘Boar’ack Obama and Don’Hog’ Trump. In 2019, we received national attention from our ‘Sty’nly Cup Champions’ with quick skating TJ Osh’wee wee wee all the way home’. Go CAPS!

Our training methods:

We used to think oreos were the key, until we realized pigs can smell a cider donut from a mile away. Donuts from the farm added 15 mph to our pigs’ fastest race times. They truly run faster when they have bigger audiences  cheering them on from the sidelines! With practice and precision, we are very proud of our racing piggies and their speed.

We love our pigs!

Although pigs are sometimes perceived as messy, they are some of the smartest and most organized animals on the farm. When visiting our farm, you may notice a lot of dropped apples and leftover pumpkins from Halloween. Nothing goes to waste here! We feed our piggies dropped apples, lost pumpkins, delicious scraps from the farm market and barley grown below Dirt Farm Brewing. Our pigs are some of the hardest workers on the farm. They assist with rotational grazing, manures, and  weed control as part of our regenerative agriculture practices employed to grown our produce for our Community Support Agriculture Program (CSA) and Farm Market.

2021 THE PIG PATROL

Chase, Rubble, Marshall, Rocky, Zuma and Sky are ready for a runt runt rescue! This crew has been so busy since their premiere on the big screen this summer. Cheer on your favorites and watch Mayor Goodway vs. the Mayor of Foggy Bottom Road, Mayor ‘Ham’-dinger, race to the finish line. No track is too big and no pig is too slow. These pigs are ready to go!

Coming soon to a stall near you….

The Richest Porks in the barnyard:

Pig Gates ($133 Billion)

Founder of ‘Mud’crosoft. His foundation focuses on philanthropic endeavours such as swine-flu vaccination.

Pork Zuckerberg ($134 Billion)

Founder of Facebook and owner of Insta‘ham.’

E’Loin’ Musk ($190 Billion)

Some little piggies go to the market. This little piggy went to space….His self driving tractor and solar powered fencing is driving Te‘Slop’ through the roof. One tweet and the price of pig-coin went up 95% overnight.

Jeffrey ‘Bacon’zos ($200 Billion)

Founder of Amazon Swine. This hog stepped down as CEO after his company’s wealth grew by almost 40% during the pandemic. His newspaper, the Washington ‘Com’post covers all the buzz around the barnyard.

Come watch our piggies race to the Stall of Fame on  October Fall Harvest weekends at 11, 1 and 3 o’clock.

Reserve your tickets in advance as Saturdays & Sundays do sell out.