Monday, October 22, 2012

HARVEST FEST AND MORE


HARVEST FEST 2012 - NEAR-PERFECTION!

Continued Indian summer weather, a great apple crop, sumptuous food, and 200+ enthusiastic participants made for a near-perfect celebration of the Buckner Orchard and Stehekin Community on October 6!

 
Valley residents and visitors spent an enjoyable day picking apples, making cider, visiting with old friends and new ones alike, enjoying the music of Stehekin's own End of the Road, while filling plates from the large selection of potluck food. What a glorious day, and the orchard has never looked better!
 
 
 

See what you missed or reminisce about your time at the Buckner Homestead with photos of the day provided by Leo Christoffer, Crystal Austin, and Herb Sargo. (Photos)

 
Follow this link to Wilfred Woods' column in the Wenatchee World celebrating this year's Harvest Fest. Thank you, Wilfred! (Column)

 
MANY SPECIAL THANKS

Special thanks are in order for Eric Little and John Schinneman of Whildbey Island, friends of the Stehekin Community, for completely refurbishing both cider presses at the orchard. Metal and wood parts were replaced or retooled in their shops in Freeland, WA, and the presses are not only much easier to use, especially for kids, but will now serve the community for many years to come. They look great! Thank you both for you generous contribution to the Orchard and Stehekin Community.

The project and transportation to and from Whidbey Island was facilitated by the Foundation, and we are very grateful to Tom Courtney Tug and Barge for providing shipment of one of the presses.
 
Eric is pictured readying the presses for their maiden voyage.
 

NEW BUCKNER ORCHARD SIGN

Harvest Fest 2012 also brought the unveiling of the new Buckner Orchard sign on the Stehekin Valley Road. Construction of the sign was funded by the Buckner Homestead Heritage Foundation, and is pictured here with Wendy Garfoot. The old sign, created by the late Phil Garftoot, now resides at Wendy's new home in Stehekin. The Garfoots were long-time residents at the Orchard and are responsible for much of the work that has made the Buckner Homestead and Orchard what it is today.

 

FALL ORCHARD WORK DAY

13 friends of the orchard spent the morning of October 5 readying the orchard for winter by removing grass and apples from around trees for mice control, cleaning up around the buildings, and other structures, and preparing for the next day's Harvest Fest. (Photos)