Awaiting the Apples
Hello, dear reader. It has been some time since I shared a more lifestyle-esque blog post rather than a recipe or a how-to. For whatever reason, those seem to come more easily to me and seem more enjoyable or clickable than something I write just because I am feeling in the mood to. For the past handful of years, we have been sharing many lifestyle photos on our Instagram page, but I have failed to also upload them to this space. I will blame motherhood on the lack of sharing; I can only focus on so many outlets to share my work! I do always strive to put content on our various platforms, and I am always hoping to get that point one day. It will most likely have to wait until it is a day where I no longer have an infant!
However, I figured today would be a good day as any to start sharing more lifestyle images with you and little stories about the day-to-day happenings on our family’s farm.
The apples are beginning to ripen, and we are looking forward to harvesting and turning them into applesauce, among their many other uses. We never seem to have enough applesauce over the course of winter!
This is an “on” year for the majority of our trees, meaning that they are abundant with fruit. Next autumn, these trees will have only about a third of the fruit they are currently carrying, and the other half of our orchard will be full of different apples. We enjoy watching to see if it will be the same result every other season, and it never fails. I think that’s a beautiful part of following the patterns of nature.
Have you heard of phenology? It is the study of cyclical natural phenomena and events. Things like bird migrations, when perennials will bloom, and autumn leaf coloring are all examples of phenology. For centuries, this study is how farmers and gardeners learned when to sow certain crops or follow their cultural traditions. It is the same as celebrating around the time of each seasonal solstice.
It is a study that has fascinated me recently, as it is one that I experience daily here on our family homestead. Never in my life have I been so interested and dependent upon the weather forecast. But each day, we must know what to expect so that we may go about our chores in a way that continue the wheel of our operations moving. We must know how to tend to the animals so that they are comfortable in high temperatures, or make sure the crops are well watered or protected from high winds.
Using phenology in the garden and on the farm is a way to connect back to our ancient roots. It was the most ancient form of science, to understand when food would be available and the beginnings and endings of seasons. Many of these phrases are set into various proverbs across multiple religions. We are not personally spiritual but have become more and more interested in celebrating these natural cycles, such as the solstices, to bring ourselves closer to this land that we tend.
Today, we have welcomes the ripening of elderberries and apples and blackberries. What is ripe where you live?
My dress is from Simply Grey Life.
xoxo Kayla
