Kirby's Mill Apple Festival ~ Saturday, October 8th 2011

I've spent the week sorting, shooting, matting, framing, planning, packing and getting ready for my first art show of the season .  . . AND . . . . Y A Y . . .  No rain in the forecast!! I am thrilled and very thankful! Last year it was cold and damp with some drizzle in the afternoon. The year before was the same, but in 2008, what a fine day it was!! People were out enjoying the beautiful Fall weather and the work of artists and craftspeople selling Handmade In America, one- of-a-kind works.

Of course, the Apple Festival is also about the apples too.  It doesn't have a whole lot of variety, food wise, except for the apples. It's apples galore, from cider donuts and apple pies, to cider and apple ice cream. It's a Mecca for apple lovers of all ages.

License This Image From My iStock Portfolio

On a nice day, I've seen people come out in droves to the Kirby's Mill Apple Festival. There's live entertainment, demonstrations and tours of the mill.  It's unique, meandering, country setting gives the festival a nice relaxed vibe. I really need to lighten my load, especially since I only had one show last year.  I'm doing some sales and specials. If you need art, now's the best time to get the best selection and price from me. My print special , Buy Two, Get One Free, is a darn good deal. Christmas is creeping up on us pretty fast this year. I always feel better if I start thinking about it before Thanksgiving. So get out of the house tomorrow, enjoy the sunshine and fresh air! Come to Kirby's Mill, in Medford, NJ. Walk, relax, eat and do a little shopping. If you mention that you saw this blog post or you read about it on Facebook, I will give you 20% off any originals' price.

Kirby's Mill Apple Festival - 2008

This could be my first and last show of 2011, as it was in 2010. You never know what the weather's going to do this time of year, or any time of the year these days.

Cranberry Festival - 2008

Now,  two days of warm, sunny beautiful weather for next weekend's show, the Chatsworth Cranberry Festival would be another truly amazing blessing.

Back At The Bogs

Here's a few of the photos from this week's trip out to Haines and Haines Cranberry Bogs. See more about this Lightroom preset in today's Spirit Art post on technology.

A Visit To Haines and Haines Cranberry Farm

Holly Haines and her brother, William S. Haines, Jr., are 4th generation growers who own and operate the largest cranberry farm in the state. With over 1,300 cranberry bogs in production, there's lots of work to do year round. The farms' 11,000 acres includes bogs, reservoirs and woodland. You need approximately 10 acres of upland (woodland, etc.) for every acre of bog to act as a buffer and to protect your water sources.The farm has evolved from a one-man operation started in 1890 by Martin L. Haines, to one of the largest privately owned facilities in the world. Over 35 full-time employees, many whose families have also been involved in the business for generations and 50 peak-season workers keep the Pine Island Cranberry business flourishing and expanding. Holly's love of her career, lifestyle and the farm is evident in her knowledge of all aspects of the business. Her enthusiasm for the new technologies of the future and her many intriguing stories of the past make her a fascinating and unique expert in her field. An informative guide and charming hostess, Holly has granted us permission to come back again any time during the harvest to take more photos. How very generous she is and how lucky we are! Here's a few of my photos taken at the bogs.


A an early fall bumper crop of lustrous cranberries are gathered in a flooded brown cedar water bog. This mixed color harvest floats on the surface of dark water after being thrashed up from the vines.


Swirling variegated cranberries make beautiful designs in the water as they are harvested.



After freeing the berries from their vines with walk-behind thrashers, seen here in the background, workers corral the fruit which will be transported via conveyor to waiting trucks.



Once the cranberries are in the corral , they are moved up a conveyor belt to a waiting truck which will be transport them to a packing house, where they will be cleaned. Then tractor trailer trucks will take them to the local processing plant.



Here workers break for lunch as one worker offers a hand to the last man out of the bog.


A walk-behind cranberry thrasher sits abandoned in a flooded bog while workers break for lunch. Big puffy clouds and a beautiful blue sky are mirrored in the water's reflection.