Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Discussions of fruits, veggies and grains other then just mashing

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cranky
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Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Post by cranky »

My fruit season just took a bad bad turn :cry: I drove by one of my apple areas this afternoon and it is gone! :esurprised: Every single thing has been bulldozed flat. I just lost 6 well established apple trees, a golden delicious, the pink, what I think was a very large Braeburn, another unidentified one by the Braeburn, a nice red and a wild green that really added nicely to the mix. In addition to this I also lost my favorite great big pear tree, the quince bushes and a Jefferson plum thicket. This will leave me several hundred pounds short this year and now the wife wants me to find a quince for our yard. The only slightly good thing is I managed to successfully graft at least one graft from the big pear onto my little Seckel pear tree so it will actually live on. I guess this is the year I will have to get over my fear of people and actually learn to knock on doors and ask to pick apples if I am going to get to my goal of 100 gallons of cider.
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Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

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!!! That sucks. I'm sorry cranky. I know exactly how that feels. It really is a shame. On the bright side if you have a couple people who agree to let you pick, they will often have friends or family in the same situation (lots of fruit with no ambition or desire or time to harvest it) you'll findany people are rather happy to have someone come and do the work of cleaning up the mess. As a mess it surly becomes when the fruit is allowed to go to waste and rott on the ground. And talk about the bees and bug.

You'll probably be farther ahead then you think.

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Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

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yakattack wrote:!!! That sucks. I'm sorry cranky. I know exactly how that feels. It really is a shame. On the bright side if you have a couple people who agree to let you pick, they will often have friends or family in the same situation (lots of fruit with no ambition or desire or time to harvest it) you'll findany people are rather happy to have someone come and do the work of cleaning up the mess. As a mess it surly becomes when the fruit is allowed to go to waste and rott on the ground. And talk about the bees and bug.

You'll probably be farther ahead then you think.

Yak
Thanks yak, This depressed the hell out of me. There are a couple trees I see around that go to waste every year and I only hope I can get the nerve to knock on their doors and talk to them. The big thing was the pear tree, that was my main pear, my wife wouldn't even allow me to make booze out of those pears because she liked to cook with them but this year after tasting the pear brandy I made from less than stellar Asian pears she agreed to let me make brandy out of them. I do know where an Asian pear is that went to waste last year and am planning on knocking on that door and see what they say.
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Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Post by raketemensch »

Maybe it'd be easier to print out a nice letter asking for permission and leave it in their mailboxes with a number to text you at? It'd be a lot easier on the psychic system.
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Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

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raketemensch wrote:Maybe it'd be easier to print out a nice letter asking for permission and leave it in their mailboxes with a number to text you at? It'd be a lot easier on the psychic system.
That might be a good idea. That way I would know they would be receptive to letting me pick and not afraid I am trying to sell religion or a new roof.
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Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

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Sucks about your trees Crank. 'pave paradise, and put up a parking lot' doot doot doot

I think its a federal offense to stick your hand in someones elses mailbox. Id fold it and wedge it in the flag if I was you, else risk just pissing someone off by showing them your not respectful of their privacy and property. Probably wont get you invited to invade their privacy and property.
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Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

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Good point Jimbo. I'm actually hoping my truck might help a bit, after all it doesn't look like something somebody selling might drive and it's not something you see every day so it might help break the ice.
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Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

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Can I just say I'm glad your back at it cranky. This thread is one of my favorites. It's like a sign that fruit season is just around the corner for me.

And foe the letter idea it's great. But try to word it as a service. The only cost is the fruit you pick. People are more receptive to that when you lay out that they are getting a good deal.

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Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

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I think I have come to grips with this thread being in off topics and am ready to run with it.
Fruit season is just around the corner, I saw some wild raspberry flowers a couple days ago. Round here raspberries and salmon berries are the first fruit but it's hard to get enough to do anything with. The blackberries have started flowering too. The cherries were early this year, so were the pears but it looks like they are going to produce just fine. The apples have been flowering for a couple weeks now depending on the variety. Apple season begins in only 3 short months.

By the way, I still don't have the railing done on the porch :roll: The old truck is now ready for apple season and is getting gas mileage in the double digits. I've done some mods that should help even more there. I still need to remake the apple picker and a new press. I bought a big stainless steel pot that I plan on drilling holes in to use as a press basket. I have a big pile of 4 X 4s that I plan to use to make the frame and a 12 ton bottle jack to use to press with. I just need to make a few cuts and bolt it all together.

Last week I ordered some stainless steel sheet for use on the range hood I'm making. I ordered a 24" X 36" sheet of .024 but what arrived was two 30" X 36" sheets of .032, (or maybe thicker) I really only need a piece that's 30 X 18 so that leaves a whole lot of leftover stainless. I'm thinking I might roll the extra sheet into a tube and use the leftover from the other sheet and make a new barrel for the chopper. The current bucket setup makes me a little nervous because in the event of catastrophic blade failure I don't think the plastic buckets would contain the blades. I'm pretty certain the Stainless steel would.
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Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Post by frodo »

Jimbo makes a good point on the mail box thing.
6 mths ago I would have said.....P-shaw !!! get real

But I noticed a white truck stop in front of my house and look in the mail box

upset me very much
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Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Post by cranky »

One day I was out in the yard working and saw the mail man pull up, shortly after that a truck I didn't recognize drove up my cul de sac, so I peeked up over the fence. They pulled up to the mailboxes, looked around, saw me and drove off. I could hear them stopping at every mailbox in the neighborhood and opening the box. That's when I got a locking mailbox. I agree, it would be better to leave a note on the mailbox or door or maybe spend the money for a stamp and mail a letter.
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Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Post by yakattack »

Never under estimate the power of a simple flyer. Post some at the local stores around you. ( round here they still have cork boards at the entrench for that kind of stuff. ) craigslist and if you have it the evil Facebook. You don't have to go door to door but you'll be reaching your target audience that way alot faster .


If your serious about doing it start doing it now. Let people know you'll take care of the trees in exchange for the fruit. What have you got to lose? Worst thing they do is say no.
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Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Post by Wooday »

Bad news here.

The couple that own the heritage orchard I picked last season are splitting up and my buddy's moving away. Don't know if his ex will want me around this year...
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Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

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Wooday wrote:Bad news here.

The couple that own the heritage orchard I picked last season are splitting up and my buddy's moving away. Don't know if his ex will want me around this year...
On the other hand, without a man around, she may welcome your company..... 'an these buckets here be fornicatin fruit....'
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Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Post by cranky »

:lol: :lol: :lol:
It would really suck to lose an entire orchard but you never know. maybe she will let you pick.
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Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Post by Bushman »

Cranky I should probably have you join us this fall on Stuart Island, last year with 2 orchards we really only picked from 3 or 4 trees and put up 60 gallons plus apple sauce. Maybe we can talk at the BBQ after Proof 2016.
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Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

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Bushman wrote:Cranky I should probably have you join us this fall on Stuart Island, last year with 2 orchards we really only picked from 3 or 4 trees and put up 60 gallons plus apple sauce. Maybe we can talk at the BBQ after Proof 2016.
Thanks Bushman, that's probably not a very good idea since I get so sea sick :oops: plus getting off work can be a real pain and the wife is having some health issues that are currently leaving us in limbo. I'm currently hording days off in case I need them for the wife. At this point even Bears BBQ is up in the air for me but we are hoping things work out and life gets back to normal soon so you never know.
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Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

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Jimbo wrote:
Wooday wrote:Bad news here.

The couple that own the heritage orchard I picked last season are splitting up and my buddy's moving away. Don't know if his ex will want me around this year...
On the other hand, without a man around, she may welcome your company..... 'an these buckets here be fornicatin fruit....'
Except it's Shane, not Shawna...
Vermont.

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Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

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His ex is Shane? ohhhhhhhhh....... never mind.... well, unless youre into that sorta thing I guess..... worth the apples? LOL
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Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Post by MichiganCornhusker »

Jimbo wrote:...worth the apples? LOL
:lol: :lol: :lol:
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Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Post by cranky »

You just have to lead him on a bit, you don't actually have to put out.
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Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Post by Jimbo »

flash a little cheek with a wink. Should be good for a few bushels.
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Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Post by Jimbo »

ya know,.. the context of this discussion is living right up to the title of the thread....
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Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

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Lol. Jimbo that's to funny
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Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Post by Wooday »

Well hellooooo ;)
Don't tell my wife. She would stud me out in a heartbeat for a bushel of macs.

On the other hand, Shane is going to need a ton of help keeping the farm running with his partner gone. I'm sure I can trade a few days of work in hot pants and cowboy boots this summer for picking rights in the fall.

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Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

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Jimbo wrote:ya know,.. the context of this discussion is living right up to the title of the thread....
Quote of the month.

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Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Post by Jimbo »

Wooday wrote:Well hellooooo ;)
Don't tell my wife. She would stud me out in a heartbeat for a bushel of macs.
:lol: :lol: :lol:
Wooday wrote: I'm sure I can trade a few days of work in hot pants and cowboy boots this summer for picking rights in the fall.
Prolly has a set of leather chaps fer ya too... :D

On a serious note, most people are delighted to have you take the apples before they drop and rot, attracting yellow jackets, killing the grass and making a big mushy mess. Bring him a bottle of brandy and you'll have apple rights in perpetuity.
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Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Post by cranky »

Thought you guys might like to see a picture of where my apple trees used to be.
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Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Post by wtfdskin »

That sucks cranky. If its any consolation, I put 4 more trees in the ground today. Antiques. 2 wagener and 2 orleans. Puts me at 30 trees total in the orchard but only 2/3 of them are mature enough to produce. Im gonna be very busy 5 or so years from now.

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Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

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wtfdskin wrote:That sucks cranky. If its any consolation, I put 4 more trees in the ground today. Antiques. 2 wagener and 2 orleans. Puts me at 30 trees total in the orchard but only 2/3 of them are mature enough to produce. Im gonna be very busy 5 or so years from now.
:thumbup: If I had the space I would be planting fruit trees like crazy. I like the antique varieties.

I do have one good thing to report today, I was just outside checking my apple grafts and I have at least 2 of my apple grafts definitely took. :ebiggrin: This is my first successful grafting in the 3 or 4 years I've been trying. Also the Asian pear looks like it is going to produce quite well this year. I also have a bunch of baby apple trees popping up all over because after I filled my composter with apple pomace last year I started covering the garden and everything in pots with it for compost. I know the parent trees of these seedlings and the the offspring it has produced are good producing trees. I've been very torn about what to do with them since I don't have room for them. I'm thinking about secretly transplanting them in various parks and such. Last year one of these trees popped up in my garden and I moved it to a pot, that tree is now around 7 feet tall. I also have a micro pear that I think is now 4 years old that is less than 2 feet tall. I was thinking about trying to raise it as a bonsai fruit tree but don't know anything about bonsai and don't have time to learn.
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