Cool nights, warm days, and a return to the orchard.
September 25, 2014
Over the last few nights here in Vermont, we have had to resist the urge to click the heat on! The nights are cooling down and the time-honored tradition of breaking out the trusty hoodie and warm socks is now upon us.
They are cool nights that give way to warm days. We head to work in jackets, break for lunch in t-shirts, and put the jacket back on to head home. It’s a weather pattern that different people like or dislike to varying degrees. Apples though? They love it. This time of year pushes that not-quite-ripe fruit to its full potential. Apples pick up their final highlights of color and crisp taste in these transition days from Summer to Fall.
This weather pattern is why Vermont apples are some of the best in the world. It is also prime time for Vermonter’s and tourists alike to visit the orchards and pick apples. While at the orchard they purchase cider, pies, donuts, and other farm stand goodies. Traffic through the orchards at this time can make or break a year of business.
Now, when one says “apple” some people think about delicious fruit. Others however will begin to daydream about mobile phones, tablets, and technology. The state’s tourism agency, along with the help of Woodchuck® and Small Dog Electronics, is hoping to get some crossover between those two groups. They are hiding Apple iPods and iPads in the apple orchards of Vermont. All you have to do is find it and it’s yours. That simple.
Click here to check out the full details of the program and a list of participating orchards.
While many people can’t wait to get their hands on the latest Apple products this Fall, there are many others working on budgets to ensure they’ll provide enough food for their families over the season. The Vermont Foodbank estimates 153,000 Vermonters, including 34,000 children, turn to food shelves and meal service programs to feed their families each year.
In order to bring more fresh fruit to those in need, the Foodbank runs a program called “Pick for Your Neighbor”. Woodchuck is proud to be an underwriter of this program. It encourages those picking apples to pick an extra bag and donate it to the Foodbank. The program provides fresh fruit to those in need, while bringing a boost to local farms in the form of more apple sales. The old ‘win-win’ if you will.
Woodchuck employees recently took to the orchard to pick apples as part of a day of service. The day yielded 5,400 pounds of apples picked for our neighbors in need. Over the last five years Woodchuck has picked over 23,000 pounds of apple for the Pick for Your Neighbor Program. Apples are an important part of our business and our craft, but so is our local community here in Vermont. Vermont provides an energy and inspiration for all we do here at Woodchuck. We think it only right that we work to improve that which helps define us.
So go forth! Grab that old hoodie and heavy pair of socks. Head to the orchard, support our local farmers, and give back, so those in need have access to fresh fruit. It truly is one of the best times of the year in Vermont. Warm days, cool nights, and great apples!
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