2016 Calendar. Celebrating God s touch in His orchards

Transcription

1 2016 Calendar Celebrating God s touch in His orchards

2 Praise Yahweh, Jerusalem! Praise your God, Zion!... He gives snow like wool, and scatters frost like ashes. He hurls down His hail like pebbles. Who can stand before His cold? He sends out His word, and melts them. He causes His wind to blow, and the waters flow. ~Psalm 147:12-18 Semi-dwarf apple trees close to South Harvest Road. Natural processes in the orchard in January: Voles & rabbits eat bark Snow adds moisture Deep freezes lessen insect survival

3 January 2016 While the world is frozen outside, join us at KauffmansFruit- Farm.com/snow for some warm comfort food plus spiced cider and delicious, easy soup mixes in store. Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Summer s first fruits - homegrown sweet cherries, red & luscious. 1 2 New Year s Day Happy New Year from all of us at Kauffman s! Did you know... The United States is the #2 apple producing country in the world Martin Luther King Day Did you know... The apple tree is in the rose family Weavertown Amish-Mennonite Church Winter Bible School, January 24-28, 7 p.m. - Church Road, east of Bird-in-Hand Intercourse Fire Company Breakfast Buffet

4 Even so, every good tree produces good fruit; but the corrupt tree produces evil fruit. ~Matthew 7:17 Tree-ripened Gala apples, growing on dwarf trees supported with trellis. Natural processes in the orchard in February: Sap begins to flow Buds start swelling Trees slowly awaken

5 February 2016 Dew-bathed, sun-ripened apples are one of our finest pleasures. Meanwhile, cold blows and we have some warm, winter apple recipe inspirations at KauffmansFruitFarm.com/awaken. Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Did you know... Apples are considered one of the world s healthiest foods Mid-Atlantic Fruit & Vegetable Convention (and cider tasting competition) in Hershey, February Valentine s Day Presidents Day Bird-in-Hand Fire Company Chicken Pot Pie Dinner 10:30-6: Peach trees wake up around this time each year, beginning with a reddish sheen on one-year wood, which tells us that the sap is flowing and buds are starting to swell Technically named Saturn but usually called donut peaches, these are delicious and unusually crunchy. Every February, we dry about 400 bushels of apple schnitz for Christian Aid Ministries with the help of the community. If you d like to volunteer for this, please give us a call; we d love to have you join us!

6 Be patient therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient over it, until it receives the early and late rain. ~James 5:7 Peach blossoms, with lush green grass providing a color-rich background. Natural processes in the orchard in March: Spring equinox Migratory birds return Spring thaw Soil microbes wake up

7 March 2016 It s that last, long month before we really start to see spring start, but we re dreaming anyway. Feel free to come on over to KauffmansFruitFarm.com/thaw for spring ideas and prep work. Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Did you know... In the past number of decades, the levels of key nutrients like phosphorous, iron, and magnesium in the average American apple have decreased by staggering amounts. IPM orchard management, which Kauffman s uses, is a step toward making an apple a day keeps the doctor away true again Did you know... Apples were brought to North America by European settlers Gordonville Fire Company Annual Mud Sale Daylight Saving Time Begins First Day of Spring Did you know... Our orchard managers use about 1 hive of bees per every 2 acres of orchard for optimal pollination. Good Friday Easter Sunday Beautiful red apples against the backdrop of the old barn on the original A. L. Kauffman homestead

8 I am the vine. You are the branches. He who remains in Me, and I in him, the same bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. ~John 15:5 Picturesque plum blossoms being tended to by a busy honeybee. Natural processes in the orchard in April: Leaves emerge on trees Bloom! Bees bustle about

9 April 2016 You re invited to visit KauffmansFruitFarm.com/bloom for updated fruit ripening dates, coupons, and special offers. Welcome to springtime! Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Apple blossoms and cattle, a perfect Lancaster County picture! 1 2 Plum blossoms in early April Peach bloom usually colors up the orchard about the second week of April Did you know... Apple, cherry, pear, & plum blossoms are white. Peach blossoms are pink Apples bloom from late April into early May, and the new fruitlets are visible when the petals begin to fall. Intercourse Fire Company Breakfast Buffet

10 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. ~Galatians 5:22-23 Homegrown prune plums, sporting deep purple against lush green. Natural processes in the orchard in May: Blooms wither & fall Pollinated fruitlets grow rapidly Barn owl eggs hatch

11 May 2016 Getting ready for our CSA shares - season with fresh produce coming! Check it out at KauffmansFruitFarm.com/grow and find out where to get your weekly box. Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Ascension Day Intercourse Fire Company Chicken BBQ Mother s Day Did you know... Many orchardists in the USA are turning their attention to organic orchard management methods Did you know... The soluble fiber found in apples is called pectin and can help lower cholesterol levels. Bird-in-Hand Fire Company Chicken BBQ 10:30-6: Memorial Day Honeybees, the backbone of a successful pollination season for the apple trees. No bees, no apples. Pennsylvania has 100+ types of native bees (not honeybees) that help with pollination.

12 I will give you your rains in their season, and the land shall yield its increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. ~Leviticus 26:4b Plump dark sweet cherries, a close cousin to the familiar bing cherry. Natural processes in the orchard in June: Summer solstice Cherry trees absorb nutrients through their roots to ripen their crop

13 June 2016 We re back in the swing of things for full summer. CSA shares are being sent out and cherries are almost ripe. Keep up with cherry ripening dates at KauffmansFruitFarm.com/solstice. Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Baby peaches in mid-june Intercourse Fire Company Heritage Days Sausage Breakfast Father s Day Summit Cherries (~ 9 days) Emperor Francis Cherries (~ 4 days) Kristen Cherries (~ 6 days) Flamin' Fury PF1 Peaches (~ 13 days) Early Golden Plums (~ 5 days) Ranier Cherries (~ 7 days) Hartland Cherries (~ 6 days) First Day of Summer Weavertown Amish-Mennonite Church Summer Bible School, June 26-30, 7 p.m. - Church Road, east of Bird-in-Hand Bird-in-Hand Fire Company Lancaster County Carriage & Antique Auction: Preview, Food & Auction 3:30-8 p.m. Montmorency Cherries (~ 6 days) Golds Cherries (~ 4 days) Bird-in-Hand Fire Company Lancaster County Carriage & Antique Auction: Main Auction 8 a.m. The harvest dates shown here are a guide only and vary each year depending on weather and growing conditions. For accurate harvest information, visit our website, follow us on Facebook, or call us at

14 Yet He didn t leave Himself without witness, in that He did good and gave you rains from the sky and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness. ~Acts 14:17 Super juicy and always popular, the classic Red Haven peach. Natural processes in the orchard in July: Photosynthesis Next year s fruit buds begin to form Shoot growth slows

15 July 2016 Peaches, come get your fresh peaches! Visit Kauffman s in July for the early varieties of homegrown peaches. Updated peach ripening schedule posted at KauffmansFruitFarm.com/summer. Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday The harvest dates shown here are a guide only and vary each year depending on weather and growing conditions. For accurate harvest information, visit our website, follow us on Facebook, or call us at Independence Day Homegrown, ruddy Jonathan apples sunning themselves and turning redder each day 1 2 Yellow Transparent Apples (most of July) Hudson Cherries (~ 4 days) Sentry Peaches (~ 10 days) Desiree Peaches (~ 10 days) Glenglo Peaches (~ 8 days) Methley Plums (~ 8 days) Shiro Plums (~ 4 days) Galaxy, White Lady, Raritan Rose Peaches (~ 15 days) Summer Rambo Apples (late July mid August) Starfire, Salem, Coral Star Peaches (~ days) Prune Plums (through August) Saturn ( donut ), Red Haven, John Boy Peaches (~ 15 days) Blazing Star Peaches (~ 14 days) Bargain Bin apples are available from late July to early December. Have fun with your family - fill your own bag from our orchard bins. Bags available in our market. Earligold Apples (late July late August) Intercourse Fire Company Breakfast Buffet Flamin' Fury PF17, Sunhigh Peaches (~ 15 days)

16 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. ~Genesis 1:1 This clump of fine apples is carried on a dwarf tree supported by trellis. Natural processes in the orchard in August: Thunderstorms provide water & nitrogen Beneficial insects prey for their food

17 August 2016 Out and about? Follow us at KauffmansFruitFarm.com/nitrogen to get dibs on fresh, sun-ripened fruit, homegrown in good old Lancaster County soil. Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday The harvest dates shown here are a guide only and vary each year depending on weather and growing conditions. For accurate harvest information, visit our website, follow us on Facebook, or call us at Earligold, Ginger Gold Apples (available all month) Sansa Apples (through early September) Klondike White Peaches (~ 10 days) Stark s Delicious Plums (~ 25 days) Harrow s Delight Pears (~ 17 days) Babygold, Flamin Fury PF23 Peaches (~ 5 7 days) Gloria, Sugar Giant Peaches (~ 10 days) Flamin Fury PF24, All Star, Blushing Star, Loring Peaches (~ 5 15 days) Bartlett Pears (through September) Vanier Plums (~ 5 days) pronounced van yay Intercourse Fire Company Consignment Auction Summer Pearl, Blake Peaches (through end of August) Asian Pears (through mid Oct.) Golden Supreme Apples (through mid September) Messina, Flamin Fury PF27 Peaches (~ 12 days) Honeycrisp Apples (through early October) Fortune Plums (~ 12 days) Gala Apples (through January) Prune Plums available through August

18 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation, nor turning shadow. ~James 1:17 The classic Bartlett pear, a sun-splashed favorite snack for children. Natural processes in the orchard in September: Fall equinox Apple seeds mature Apples produce ethylene and ripen

19 September 2016 The harvest is in full swing. Come join us at KauffmansFruitFarm.com/equinox and harvest some sweet deals. Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Labor Day Large, red apples soaking in the sunshine under a beautiful autumn sky Asian Pears (through mid-oct.) Red Bartlett Pears (~ 15 days) Sansa & Golden Supreme Apples (first half of the month) Fortune Plums (~ 10 days) Gala & Honeycrisp Apples (available all month) Flamin Fury PF35 Peaches (~ 8 days) Smokehouse Apples (~ 15 days) Ruby Queen Plums (~ 5 days) Flamin Fury PF28 Peaches (~ 10 days) Bird-in-Hand Fire Company 5K Run, Kid s Fun Run, and Pasta Supper Bird-in-Hand Fire Company Chicken BBQ 10:30-6:30 Bird-in-Hand Fire Company Half Marathon Race Intercourse Fire Company Pig Roast McIntosh Apples (through November) Crimson Crisp Apples (~ 30 days) Jonathan & Cortland Apples (through early December) Red & Golden Delicious Apples (through the spring) First Day of Autumn Grimes Golden Apples Gordonville Fire Company Annual Fall Auction Fuji Apples (through the spring) Idared Apples (through mid-dec.) Jonagold & Empire Apples (through the spring) The harvest dates shown here are a guide only and vary each year depending on weather and growing conditions. For accurate harvest information, visit our website, follow us on Facebook, or call us at

20 That in the good ground, these are such as in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, hold it tightly, and produce fruit with patience. ~Luke 8:15 Huge volumes of apples! An excellent yield of Gala on semi-dwarf trees. Natural processes in the orchard in October: Apple trees complete their yield cycle Trees feed heavily and complete a ring

21 October 2016 The air is getting crisper and the apples more tasty. We re almost at the end of harvest but are passing savings on to you, posted at KauffmansFruitFarm.com/yield. Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday The harvest dates shown here are a guide only and vary each year depending on weather and growing conditions. For accurate harvest information, visit our website, follow us on Facebook, or call us at These days, autumn is strengthening, and late apples like this beautiful Goldrush are finishing up their golden blush. 1 Intercourse Fire Company Amish Wedding Dinner Columbus Day Crispin Apples (through the spring) The cider production crew is hard at work these days, pressing about 25,000 gallons of sweet apple cider weekly. Cameo Apples (through the spring) Rome Beauty Apples (new harvest starts, available year-round) Stayman Apples (through March) Did you know... Apple varieties range in size from a pea to the size of a small pumpkin Goldrush Apples (through January) Braeburn, Granny Smith Apples (through January) Intercourse Fire Company Breakfast Buffet

22 While the earth remains, seed time and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night will not cease. ~Genesis 8:22 Harvest over! Peach trees give the last hurrah of the year in a blaze of color. Natural processes in the orchard in November: Sap flows to roots for winter storage Leaves begin falling Leaf nutrients go to soil

23 November 2016 The peach trees are flaming out while we work away inside pressing apple cider. Come get yours at KauffmansFruitFarm. com/cider, enjoy a tall glass, and thank God for all His blessings. Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday The harvest dates shown here are a guide only and vary each year depending on weather and growing conditions. For accurate harvest information, visit our website, follow us on Facebook, or call us at Daylight Saving Time Ends Veterans Day Pink Lady Apples (through February) This month, the orchard crew pivots from this harvest to preparation for the 2017 harvest. They apply our fall fertilizer blend and begin the five month project of pruning the trees Thanksgiving Day Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Kauffman s! Did you know... Thanks to their high levels of boron, apples can help improve your memory, mental alertness, and electrical activity of the brain. Tree-ripened Pink Lady apples, ready for harvest in early November

24 As each has received a gift, employ it in serving one another, as good managers of the grace of God in its various forms. ~1 Peter 4:10 Apple pie belongs in any holiday meal, especially when enjoyed with family. Natural processes in the orchard in December: Winter solstice Onset of vernalization Most living things rest Merry Christmas!

25 December 2016 Gift ideas dreamed up by Kauffman s are posted at Kauffmans- FruitFarm.com/holiday to make this merry season a most enjoyable, delicious time for family and friends, and you. Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Evening shadows, hanging fruit, and empty trees prompt us to reflect on the blessings of the waning year Did you know... Kauffman s cider press room achieves a production rate of about 3.4 gallons per bushel of apples First Day of Winter Did you know... The Chinese word for apples is pronounced ping, which also means peace. Christmas Eve Christmas Day Merry Christmas from all of us at Kauffman s! New Year s Eve Intercourse Fire Company Breakfast Buffet and a partridge in a pear tree. God bless you all in the new year! Thank you for your business!

26 IPM in our orchards... The land provides us with livelihood, feeds our families and customers, and contains two of our most valuable natural resources: soil and water....conserve...utilize...experiment Caring for the land is important to us. After all, the land provides us with livelihood, feeds our families and customers, and contains two of our most valuable natural resources soil and water. The Kauffman family has been stewards of this land now for over a century. The following is a small picture of our actions to care for the land and make prudent use of its resources: Conserve a significant amount of water, soil, and nutrients by planting perennial food crops (tree fruit) and tilling the land for planting only every decade or two. Strategically utilize IPM practices to control pests (see Integrated Pest Management below). Continually experiment with new orchard management practices to reduce the use of pesticides and increase the nutritional value of our homegrown fruits (see Beyond IPM below).

27 These IPM strategies all help set the stage for a more minimalist approach to pesticide application. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is the backbone of our approach to dealing with a wide array of pests in the orchard. While most field-crop farmers deal with a handful of pests for a given crop, the orchard has well over fifty pests. Specific IPM strategies that help us reduce pesticide use include monitoring pests; using weather data to forecast pest pressure; encouraging beneficials (organisms that naturally work against pests); planting disease-resistant fruit trees; and promoting soil fertility. These actions all help set the stage for a more minimalist approach to pesticide application. Since 1970, PA fruit growers using IPM have reduced pesticide use by an average of well over 50%. Beyond IPM. While IPM is a good framework for us to manage the orchard, it focuses little on enriching tree fruit nutrition and soil fertility as the first line of defense against disease and other pests. Just like the human body, a tree with balanced nutrition and beneficial organisms is more likely to resist disease. Therefore, our goal is to give the trees the foundation to resist disease rather than merely killing their pests. Our budget for fertility and nutrition is approximately double of that used by the average orchard in Pennsylvania. The slogan Bringing Back An Apple-A-Day depicts our efforts to grow food that is packed with the nutrition our bodies thrive on. To read more, see KauffmansFruitFarm.com/FreshFruit The slogan Bringing Back An Apple-A-Day depicts our efforts to grow food that is packed with the nutrition our bodies thrive on. Because the nutritional content of the nation s food supply has declined so much in the last 50 years, what was once an apple a day keeps the doctor away may now well mean consuming 3-5 times as much fruit as your great-grandpa did to achieve the same nutrient intake. We are going beyond IPM in an effort to reverse these nutrient losses.

28 This 2016 calendar courtesy of: Family Orchards Since KauffmansFruitFarm.com 3097 Old Philadelphia Pike, Bird-in-Hand, PA Market Hours: Mon-Thur 7-5:30, Fri 7-8:30, Sat 7-5, Closed Sunday