Fruition: Local Foods Blog

April 10, 2023Erica LaFountain

A Basic Guide to Pruning your Apple Trees

We’re getting to the end of pruning season… but there’s still time! If you’ve ever wondered why late winter / early spring is the ideal time to do most apple pruning, it’s because the tree is dormant, and there aren’t airborne pathogens around. As a bonus, the branch structure is easier to see without the leaves. Pruning is necessary to shape your tree, prevent disease, and encourage the productive fruiting wood, which is 2-3 years old. It is best done annually, as mature trees that are left unpruned can become unproductive.

So… where should you begin?

Stand back and look over your tree from a slight distance. If there’s anything glaring – say a branch that is dead, diseased, or damaged, remove that first, back to a healthy joint (see advice below on where and how to cut). After removing any diseased branches, and after pruning each tree, clean your tools with rubbing alcohol or other disinfectant to avoid spreading pathogens to other branches or other trees. Crossed branches can result in rubbing and injury particularly in high winds or when weighed down by fruit so eliminate one of them. Any branches that are growing toward the center of the tree will not serve the tree’s need for sunlight and airflow. Also remove drooping branches, which are often shaded, reach too close to the ground when laden, and create mowing challenges.

And when should you stop?

Whether you’re working on a young tree or a mature, neglected one, it’s important to remember that you should never remove more than ⅓ of the tree. Exceeding this can cause excessive vegetative growth. So if it’s clear from the start that there’s a large branch that needs to go (because it’s dead, diseased, damaged, or interfering with the shape of the tree), then cut only that one and call it a day, no matter how tempting it may be to continue pruning. You can get to the minor cuts next year. Keep in mind, you can easily reach that ⅓ rule even by cutting a few smaller branches, especially on a young tree. Stepping back occasionally can keep your pruning in perspective and is essential for maintaining an overall balance of the tree.

High school students pose in front of an apple tree after pruning this spring — Agriculture Studies Academy helped prune the orchard at CCE this spring

April 7, 2023Flip

Contributing to Future Food Preservation

Within minutes to the end of a workday, my energy was waning when the phone rang and the caller ID said Denver, Colorado. The person asked for me by name and then shared some lovely news. She was so tickled by the idea of our Canning Jar Drive, she went online, ordered new jars, and had them delivered directly to the Extension Learning Farm! She has family in the North Country and they love participating in Extension programming. I was touched by her generosity and after chatting for a few minutes, I set the phone down.

Two minutes later, the phone rang again. It was an elderly gentleman in Chase Mills. He said he and his wife had canned and preserved food for decades and now they were ready to pass on the supplies to others to carry on the tradition. He planned to drop off the canning supplies when he was next in Canton for an appointment.

These calls happened within minutes and energized me! They are fabulous examples of the thoughtfulness and care in our community, and showcase creative ways to participate in this brand new activity at Cornell Cooperative Extension of St. Lawrence County.

Just like these generous callers, you too can support the preservation programming offered by our Extension educators and Master Food Preserver volunteers by participating in the Canning Jar Drive. Our preservation workshops are hands-on and offered in a sliding scale format where participants can choose how much to pay $10-40. Your donations will offset the costs of programming while also helping your fellow community members gain the supplies and skills to preserve foods.

How to participate in 4 easy steps

1. New or used jars welcome. Collect canning jars from your storage areas or friends and family. If you’d like to support our programming but have no jars, simply purchase a case to donate. Make sure the jars are intended for canning, such as Ball, Kerr, Bernardin, etc. All sizes welcome.

2. Drive jars to the donation site, the Extension Learning Farm in Canton. Donations are accepted anytime Monday through Friday 9am-3pm throughout the month of April.

If you want to order online and have them delivered here as in our kind caller, send to Harvest Kitchen 2043B State Highway, NY 13617.

3. Deposit jars in the shed. The shed is on the right side of the driveway when pulling into the farm so it’s easy to move jars into this covered location. Read more Contributing to Future Food Preservation

March 23, 2023Laurel Balog

Celebrating the Transition to Spring with Local Foods

Anyone who’s lived in the North Country knows the winters here can be challenging. I’ll be the first to admit the -30 degree Fahrenheit wind chill days and long periods of darkness were not easy for me to adjust to when my partner and I moved here seven years ago. I found myself dreaming of long sunny days, fresh foods, and humid, hot nights. But over the years, I’ve grown to appreciate the dark, cold winter and all that it offers: the slower pace of life that winter requires, the opportunity to cross country ski and snowshoe, warm nights by the wood stove, and intentional cooking.

A dog walking on a paved trail in a wooded landscape. — We enjoy sunny days during the winter and walk our dogs on trails.

Now, in March, as we shift from winter to spring, the transition takes some time, and I again get impatient for warmer weather. In doing so, I sometimes miss the small changes and processes our natural world is undergoing. So as a way to stay present and honor the earth reawakening during the spring transition, I look to our local foods and cooking as a ritual to celebrate these changes. March is hard on local foods. Root cellar food and freezer stocks start to dwindle before fresh produce is abundant again, but there are delicious upsides to this season as well. Maple syrup is being boiled and chickens are laying more eggs.

A rooster and hen eat grain from a tray on the ground outside. — A local chicken flock enjoying their breakfast on a spring-like morning.

One recipe that is perfect for this time of year is a Sausage Egg bake. We make it for special occasions, or just because. Its main ingredients are all foods you can find locally either from stored and preserved foods or produced fresh. These ingredients include eggs, sausage, potatoes, milk, cheese, frozen spinach (or any type of dark leafy green), garlic, and onion. Mixed with spices, or maybe even a drizzle of fresh maple syrup, and baked in the oven, you now have yourself one tasty and easy dish to serve and welcome spring back to our region.