When I drove down the hill to work the other morning, I spotted a blue quad and I knew Grandpa Bob was close by. I looked up the row of apple trees to see him and his faithful companion and dog by his side, Harlow. He was out in the orchard grasping a post with one hand and thinning apple trees with the other. He’s in his mid 80’s and quite shaky on his feet but that’s not stopping him from tending to his beloved McIntosh trees.
June is the month for thinning fruit. Did you know we have 60,000 apple trees and each one of them will be thinned by one of our 3 crews? We start with the newly planted trees, 2 years and younger. We hand pick all the blossoms, or if we miss the blossoms we pick off all the baby apples. We want to reduce stress on the baby trees so they put all their energy into growing strong. Then we move to the larger trees, going over each limb on every tree, spacing the apples a “hand width” apart and removing any fruit with an obvious blemish. Balancing the fruit on the tree gives us the best chance to harvest large fruit with a higher sugar content.
The job will take a good six weeks - that‘s a lot of labor but we think harvesting great fruit makes it worth it.
Being a farmer is really about being a caretaker. It takes months of watering, weeding, controlling pests and planning for the harvest. It takes passion, a willingness to work hard and take risks. I am relatively new to farming but I sure have grown to appreciate the passion and work ethic of the three generations of farmers in my life: my father-in law Bob, my husband Tom and our son Lance. Grandpa Bob is a mentor, inspiration to many and a passionate farmer if there ever was one!
The farmer’s wife,Tamra
PS - Strawberries are winding down, bur cherries will be in the market this weekend!
Join us Saturday, July 1st for Canada Day!
- Free Johnny Popper Tours from 10am-4pm
- #ShareTheChair for a chance to win
- Vote for your favourite staff costume for a chance to win
- Red and white flower displays
- Special Canadian themed treats from the bakery.
**Plus much more!! Click herefor more information**
Chocolate Cherry Ice Cream Pie
This recipe is the perfect thing to serve outside on the patio on a summer evening. Even better if it’s for friends. Even better if it’s for on the patio, for friends, on Canada Day. Bonus points if you can watch the fireworks from your house. Click the photo for full recipe.
When I drove down the hill to work the other morning, I spotted a blue quad and I knew Grandpa Bob was close by. I looked up the row of apple trees to see him and his faithful companion and dog by his side, Harlow. He was out in the orchard grasping a post with one hand and thinning apple trees with the other. He’s in his mid 80’s and quite shaky on his feet but that’s not stopping him from tending to his beloved McIntosh trees. 
ally about being a caretaker. It takes months of watering, weeding, controlling pests and planning for the harvest. It takes passion, a willingness to work hard and take risks. I am relatively new to farming but I sure have grown to appreciate the passion and work ethic of the three generations of farmers in my life: my father-in law Bob, my husband Tom and our son Lance. Grandpa Bob is a mentor, inspiration to many and a passionate farmer if there ever was one!
