Howdy Folk's!
I am happy that we are well into September! I don't know about ya'all, but I can hardly wait for fall-like weather!
This past Sunday afternoon I was lucky enough to attend the Apple Festival, held at Chellburg Farm, in northern Indiana.
The weather was HOT and HUMID! Since the plan was to head to the festival right after church, weather friendly, picnic fixins were packed.
Of course, there was plenty of apple eating too! I tried apple tea for the first time; good stuff!
Troy got to try a triboshay! The catapult is launched with a pull of a string.
Fling! The apple flies through the air! If the calculations and aim are correct, it might just hit the bullseye!
Troy made sure his aim was on point when trying the larger catapult!
This machine fires when the lever is struck hard with the bat!
(Where were these machines when I needed the Grovertown house down?) :-)
This festival was rather unique, in that, it wasn't crowded. It was quite spread out over the farm. It made for some nice and easy summer trail walks.
Each trail led to a new adventure! Visitors could try walking on stilts, olden day games and crafts.
The tractor pulled wagon ride was one of my favorite activities! Who doesn't like the rhythmic sound of a tractor chugging along?? Plus, our driver took us to the edge of the spearmint field during harvest and it was a refreshingly, great, experience!
Side note: Having a festival during spearmint harvest was perfect for keeping the bugs and bees from being a nuisance!
The Chellburg family was one of Indiana's first wealthy settlers. The original house, currently undergoing tuckpointing, remains very well in tact, in the original location.
Every so often, while attending grade school, I got to take a field trip the Chellburg Farm. It hasn't changed much.
The front of the house faces the Little Calumet River. That was the popular way of transport back in the day, so I was told.
I could definitely see myself living here!
I enjoyed all the little, olden day, details that are rarities to get to see nowadays.
Oh my goodness, the stoves, the windmill, and the animals-- how charming!
Several years ago, I used to have a farm. I raised these feather-footed type chickens, known as silkies. They were the best little mama hens ever!
All my animals had individual pet names, of course. However, the group of chickens, was collectively known as, the Plop-and-Drops. They refused to go into the coop, come dusk. Instead they would plop and drop down wherever they happened to be, to rest for the night. I would have to go out, and tuck them in there coop every evening, just to be sure they stayed safe and warm.
The old barn is still looking good!
If you look really, really, close, you can see Charlotte's web in the upper left hand corner of the doorway, in the following pic!
Did you see it??
If I were living on this farm, I would have to make good use of the old silo ring! Perhaps use it a baby animal play pen, or make it into raised garden bed. Oh, I got a good one-- turn it into a wigwam!
Gobble, gobble!
The cows seemed to be enjoying all the treats and attention!
Watching bees is fascinating, as long as they are not swimming your beverage!
Speaking of beverage, these ladies suckered me into a swig of extremely strong apple cider vinegar!
Seriously folk's, I've had whisky with less of a punch than what they gave me! Then they handed me a paper, saying this liquid was good for killing fleas and cleaning! I knew this already, but they didn't know I knew, and they were trying there darnedest to talk me out of calling poison control! It was quite hilarious! Anyways, to this day I am flea free and fairly clean!
Thank goodness for the other samples, I had to have a chaser after that apple cider vinegar!
I walked around, crunching on an apple for the rest of the time there!
I don't know much about cooking with cast iron. Mostly, I only use my cast iron cookware when I go camping. Years ago, I remember being instructed to not make apple butter or cook anything very acidic in cast iron. So, when I noticed the cast iron pot of simmering apple butter, I had questions.
Turns out, the demonstrator didn't know that apple butter cooked in cast iron has been linked to several cases of poisonings. (Her and I checked with more experienced cooks.) The most popular reason being is toxic levels of iron and other sediments being cooked into the food. Also, apple butter cooked in cast iron turns an unappealing grey color. Therefore, a copper kettle is the popular and most accepted cookware when making apple butter. I don't know if I saved anyone from being poisoned that day, but I learned a few things.
