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)