End of Season

A few photographs from the old farm next door to our place. Autumn is always a busy time – the garden gets readied for winter, the wood gets stacked, and best of all, they’ve been pressing apple cider. We’ve been lucky to be on the receiving end, every year, of their fine product.

The apple press, clean and ready for a new day of work. This is the small press. The giant stone press, hardly ever used these days, is here.DSC01903

The inner workings of the apple masher.DSC01905

And the stone fountain where all the cleaning takes place.DSC01902

The whole courtyard is filled with the sweet scent of apples and the hay used to filter the juice. And out back by the compost, the remains of the press.DSC01915

 

The walnuts have been out drying for a couple of weeks now. They’ll be cracked and pressed into walnut oil.DSC01904

Old barrels meeting their end.DSC01894

And the hoops that once bound them.DSC01906

The number of pumpkins has been steadily dwindling with every passing week as they get made into soups and stews.DSC01888

The sheep look ready for their winter quarters at another farm up the hill. They graze here from early spring until late fall or early winter.DSC01917

The people who run this farm are in their 70s, and I don’t imagine their children will be carrying on the old habits of this place, which has been a working farm in the family since the mid-1800s. I’m grateful for every season we get to live in proximity to this heritage.

All photos: PK Read

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