The orchard is a beautiful, magical place.
Depending on what time of year you visit, you will see and experience different things at this organic farm in the Gorge, Oregon. In January, it looks desolate and bare, yet if you look closely, you can see new life hidden within the orchard and the promise of the upcoming harvest. The workmen will be seen pruning the trees with careful attention to the uniqueness of each one.
Slowly and then all at once the orchard is bursting with fragrances, and blossoms of all kinds cloak the trees. Beehives are brought to the orchard so that the blossoms can be pollinated. The orchard sounds loud with the buzzing of these tiny insects hard at work.
Within a couple of months, the skilled workmen will go through each tree and pick off the excess fruit. If this job is neglected, the remaining fruit will be more prone to bugs and diseases. It will also break the tender wood of the trees due to the heavy weight of the fruit. The workmen are now seen caring for the trees, feeding them vital nutrients, weeding and mowing almost constantly.
The orchard is a hub of activity — a near-constant state of euphoria and growth.
As the summer months pass, a variety of plump, sweet, fruits decorate the branches, tempting passersby to partake in their juicy treats! The workmen often bring home these delicious treats to their families after the day’s work is done. By the time August’s late summer warmth beckons, the harvest begins for the season’s first apples and will continue through the fall. The apples, once picked, are then taken to a cooler, washed, sorted, and sent to families across the nation who are eager to make a fresh apple pie for the next family meal.
By November, the last apple has been picked.
The orchard is becoming quiet now. The workmen are seen preparing for the winter. The trees are vibrant with color. The wind blows through the orchard, bringing winter with it, and slowly each leaf falls from the tree and the orchard prepares for yet another year.