It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Christmas is upon us and although it is dark and cold outside, there are feelings of cheer and goodwill all around us. I love Christmas - I love the decorations and the music; I love the secrecy of wrapped up packages under the tree; I love the wonder in children’s faces as they take it all in! But what I love most of all is remembering why we celebrate in the first place. On the night that Jesus was born, over 2000 years ago, an angel appeared to some down-and-out shepherds with an amazing proclamation: “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord!” What a wonderful reason to rejoice!
The past two months at the farm have been a slower pace than October, but full nonetheless. Our bakery team has been pounding out the apple pies to prepare for spring. By making them in the early winter, we can use our own apples to ensure your pie is as local and delicious as possible. In the Cannery the preserves team has been producing a tantalizing assortment of mouth-watering products, such as peach butter, lady rose relish, raspberry jam, and much more! A plethora of meetings have taken place to debrief the year and dream up plans for the year ahead. In the fields we have cut down some of the oldest apple trees to continue our sustainable crop rotation, a task that is more complex with tree fruit than it is with ground crops due to their long life span. The next winter project in the field will be to prune each apple tree by hand.
There is never a shortage of things to do when you live and work on a farm but we make sure that we take time to celebrate and relax with family and friends as well. At our next Christmas party, I am planning on serving a festive Spiced Pear Bundt Cake. I am sharing the recipe with you so you can try it for yourself! Alongside a mug of hot apple cider, this cozy cake will set the mood. Don’t worry if you are out of Davison apple juice – it is available, along with a few of our other products, at Simply Delicious.
From our family to yours,
Have a very Merry Christmas!
