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.

 

It’s Market Monday  & We Go Together Like Chocolate and Wine

Tis the season to cozy up and treat yo-self and if that doesn’t include chocolates and wine, you’re doing it wrong!

Meet the Chocolatier

Meet Eliza and Erlé of Farmhouse Chocolates, located in a tiny town nestled in the mountains of Vermont. Their line up of delectable treats are crafted with all local, non-GMO, certified organic ingredients. Former dairy farmer and head chocolatier, Erlé LaBounty, has been crafting chocolates in his home state since the young age of 16. Co-Owners, Eliza and Erlé pour their hearts into their business by creating a trustworthy and dependable product for chocolate lovers to enjoy.

 

We’ve picked the perfect Farmhouse Chocolates and paired them with wines from our friends up the mountain at  Bluemont Vineyard. These three combos are perfect for your next dinner party, girls night in, date night, or netflix binge by the fireside. Sip back, relax and enjoy!

 

Pairing 1: Cacao Nibs + Alaska Pure Sea Salt with Bluemont Vineyard Rosé “The Donkey”

Chocolate Notes:

Nutty caramel notes with a bright and fruity acidity. This bar is silky smooth in texture with a sprinkle of bitter, crunchy cacao nibs and artisan sea salt. 

 

Wine Notes:

2020 Rosé “The Donkey” 

100% Chambourcin 

This refreshing, off-dry Rosé is made using grapes from the Amber Creek Vineyard, located in Leesburg, Virginia. Picked in early September and slowly fermented in stainless steel to retain maximum aromatics and freshness. Made with 100% Chambourcin grapes, this wine is fruit-forward with notes of ripe strawberries and cranberry intertwined with hints of lemongrass, mint, and a delicate acidity for a perfect pairing.  

Pairing 2:  85% Dark Chocolate with Toasted Almonds paired with Bluemont Vineyard Farm Table Red

Chocolate Notes:

A rich chocolate with delicate bitterness and a slightly smoky flavor. Sprinkled with whole almonds that are toasted in house. 

Wine Notes:

2017 Farm Table Red

37% Chambourcin, 18% Merlot, 18% Cab Franc, 18% Cab Sauvignon, 6% Petit Verdot, 3% Norton

 

With slight similarities to a Pinot Noir, this fruit-forward, medium body wine is jammy and loaded with red fruit flavors- think red cherry, pomegranate and plum! Its easy drinking with a vibrant acidity. The subtle tannins and smoky hints from the toasted almonds makes this a perfect balance to this dark chocolate bar. 

 

**We will be releasing 2020 FTR soon!**

Pairing 3: Salted Caramels paired with Bluemont Vineyard Autumn Apple Wine

Chocolate Notes:

They say these are their best sellers and we certainly understand why! 

Buttery rich caramel, dark chocolate squares that are not overly sweet like caramel you’ve purchased at a big chain grocery. Each bite has a subtle bitterness though is a perfect balance of sweet, dark chocolate and a sprinkle of salt. 

 

Wine Notes:

50% Apple & 50% Vidal Blanc

 

A Fall seasonal favorite! This  semi-sweet wine is a blend of our own apples from Great Country Farm mixed with Vidal Blanc. It drinks fresh and bright with mild apple notes similar to a Golden Delicious. Whats not to love about a caramel apple? This pairing is just that, only a little deconstructed!

These treats are delicious, pure, and environmentally friendly. Eliza and Erlé give it everything they’ve got when it comes to these craft chocolate treats and their messaging is simple- “we believe in it, we believe in each other and because we really, really like making people smile through good food.”

We couldn’t agree more! Proudly offering a selection of both Farmhouse Chocolates and Bluemont Vineyard wines in our market, making it easy for you to treat yourself on your next shopping trip!  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/farmhousechocolates/ 

IG: @farmhousechocolates 

Website: https://www.farmhousechocolates.com/ 

 

It’s Market Monday and Things Are Feeling a Little Nutty here at the the farm!

These days it seems like we are always on the go! It can be challenging to juggle the many hats that we all wear, especially when the weather begins to cool down and your to-do-list grows overnight. In our last blog, we highlighted easy snacks to grab and go while also fueling your body. This week we are excited to highlight one of those choices, Family of Nuts. Family of Nuts offers high quality roasted nuts, dried fruits, peanut butter spreads and even their own roasted coffee (Yes please!). Nuts are not only a healthy option to snack on, but they are flavorful, quick, and can be used in many different ways.

 

Family of Nuts is a local, family owned roasting company located in the Washington Metropolitan area. They found their passion when they realized the lack of high quality nut products that were available to them. You may be wondering, “well aren’t all nuts the same?”, the short answer is no! Family of Nuts is unique because every week their nuts are roasted in small batches. They use a unique roasting process to ensure the highest quality product. You can check out a video of their process to see the behind the scenes of their roasting process. How cool!  Once you try them, you’ll always taste the difference between their product and your generic nuts from the grocery store. 

What are the different varieties?

Family of Nuts offers several different products.  In our farm market, we carry Lightly Salted Peanuts, Pistachios, Trail Mix, and our personal favorites Cajun Peanuts and Lemon Pepper. 

 

  One of the greatest things about these products is that nuts and dried fruits can be used in a variety of recipes. If you are feeling creative this fall, try adding nuts to a homemade trail mix , pecan pie, or specialty bread and go nuts! Family of Nuts also offers spreads, select dried fruits, and coffee, which can all be found on their website. 

How can I try their products?

At Great Country Farms, we are happy to be able to support local, family run businesses in our farm market! You can find Family of Nuts on the shelves in our market. If you’re already a huge fan of theirs, check out their membership options to keep your orders flowing! Give them a follow on social media and check out their website for the latest updates and news!

 

Facebook: Family of Nuts

IG: @FamilyofnutsUSA