By Joann M. Ringelstetter
This coming Thursday, we celebrate Thanksgiving – a day of gratitude and thanks for the many blessings in our lives. And at most Thanksgiving tables, there will be cranberry sauce or a cranberry salad to enjoy.
In early October of this year, Ruth and I decided to head to Wisconsin cranberry country near Warrens to photograph the cranberry bogs. We figured the cranberry harvest would be in full swing and we’d be able to capture the bright red cranberries floating in the deep blue water.
But it was a very cold morning and we were disappointed to discover that the irrigation sprinklers were running in all the bogs we passed and the bogs were totally iced over. We didn’t understand this process, but took a few photos and then decided to go into Warrens to visit the Cranberry Discovery Center.
On the way into town, a splash of red color caught my eye and I turned the car around to investigate. Hallelujah! There they were, millions of bright red cranberries corralled in the corner of the bog. I set up my tripod and began to photograph the colorful scene. As I snapped the shutter, I saw a bright red truck (cranberry-colored, of course) way off in the distance and heading towards me.
A couple minutes later, the truck pulled up beside me. As soon as the man stepped out of the truck, I said, “I need a cranberry lesson.” He kindly replied, “Okay, what would you like to know?” He answered several of my questions, including the reason the bogs were iced over. He said that the water gives off heat as it freezes and as long as the water continues to run, the cranberry plants will be protected from the cold temperatures.
“So why didn’t YOUR cranberries freeze last night?” I asked. “Because I had flooded my bogs earlier,” he said. I then explained to him why I was photographing his bogs, and I told him that we have always found cranberry folks to be some of the nicest people. I gave him my card and he introduced himself as Jack Potter, fifth-generation cranberry grower. “My granddad bought this marsh in 1912. I own about 50 acres of bogs here and another 30 over in that direction (and that’s just the vines, not the dikes in between).”
He told me that Wisconsin is the largest cranberry producer in the country, supplying about 60% of the nation's cranberries.
I told him we were going to the Cranberry Discovery Center next. He said, “My wife used to be the director of the center. Before that she was an editor for The Country Today." This is a newspaper that Ruth and I read regularly. As I was leaving, he gave me permission to drive down his bog dike road where there was water on both sides of the road and beautiful fall color in the trees. See what I mean about cranberry folks?
When I returned to the car and started filling Ruth in on the conversation I had with Mr. Potter, she said, excitedly, “Did you ask him if he just got married?” “Why would I ask him that?” I said, looking puzzled. “Remember, I told you about a woman who used to work at The Country Today and then at the Discovery Center and then she married a cranberry grower?” she said, wondering how I could have forgotten that so soon.
The drive down the dike road was breathtaking and we even saw two swans floating on the water and enjoying the beautiful fall day. We drove for what seemed like a mile or so and then turned around and headed to the Cranberry Discovery Center. When we returned home, Ruth dug up the article she had read and, sure enough, it was Jack Potter and Lorry Erickson-Potter. Their wedding took place on August 28, and featured a cranberry theme.
I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Jack Potter for his knowledge-sharing and hospitality. I’d also like to thank all of you who faithfully read our blog and visit our photo galleries. Wishing you many blessing this Thanksgiving season.
And, as always, Happy Shunpiking!
Joann
Shunpiking To Heaven Backroads Blog
Showing posts with label fruits. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fruits. Show all posts
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Five Ways to Celebrate Autumn
By Ruth A. Ringelstetter
Fall is an excellent time to experience shunpiking. If you plan to take any of the backroads that you are not familiar with, be sure to have a good backroads map. We like the DeLorme Atlas and Gazetteer series. Pick a nice day when the weather suits your desire. You might enjoy a nice sunny warm day, or you might prefer a cool day with the feeling of fall in the air. Regardless of the day you pick, everywhere you turn, there is something to enjoy about the season.
Here are some things you can try on your journeys. Please note that the web site links may not include all orchards, pumpkin patches, etc. They are merely a starting point for your planning.
Shunpike your way to an apple orchard. You might already have a favorite local orchard, or you might want to try a new one. Buy some fresh apples to snack on. Buy extra to bake an apple pie, make some apple fritters, or cook up some homemade applesauce. If you don’t bake, many of the orchards have a bakery where you can buy a premade pie. Don’t forget to treat yourself to an apple cider doughnut or a caramel apple.
Take a drive to a pumpkin farm and pick out some pumpkins. Some farms give you a horse-drawn or tractor wagon ride out to the pumpkin patch to pick the biggest pumpkin you can carry. Maybe you’ll find a farm with a pumpkin catapult or corn cannon. Farms usually have other items for sale including winter squash, mums, straw bales, corn shocks for decorating, and other fall gift items. Pumpkin Patches and More
Locate a corn maze and see if you can find your way through it. Don’t worry that you’ll be lost until the corn is harvested. You’ll be given a tall flag so that spotters know your whereabouts. They also offer you clues to assist you in finding your way through and some mazes offer prizes for solving puzzles while you navigate the maze. Many are open evening hours for moonlight or haunted maze experiences. Corn Maze Directory
Enjoy the colors of fall foliage. Notice the different colors in the farm fields. In early autumn, the corn starts turning from green to gold, and the soybeans turn a bright yellow before they fade to gold and finally a deep brown at harvest time. Stop at a park or a trail and take a hike in the woods. Listen to the fallen leaves as they rustle beneath your feet. (Don’t forget to stop at the park office and get a trail guide. Some of the trails are long and strenuous and the park staff will help you pick an appropriate trail for your hike.) Many states have fall color updates. Here is the Wisconsin Fall Color Update site. Wisconsin Fall Color Update
As you drive, watch the harvested farm fields for groups of Sandhill Cranes. The cranes begin to gather together in late summer in preparation for fall migration. In Wisconsin, it’s possible to find groups of several hundred cranes foraging in a field. The best times to see the cranes are early morning or late afternoon. If you find a flock of cranes, pause and watch the group to see if the cranes will dance for you.
Whatever you decide to do this year to celebrate Autumn, be safe and Happy Shunpiking!
Ruth
Fall is an excellent time to experience shunpiking. If you plan to take any of the backroads that you are not familiar with, be sure to have a good backroads map. We like the DeLorme Atlas and Gazetteer series. Pick a nice day when the weather suits your desire. You might enjoy a nice sunny warm day, or you might prefer a cool day with the feeling of fall in the air. Regardless of the day you pick, everywhere you turn, there is something to enjoy about the season.
Here are some things you can try on your journeys. Please note that the web site links may not include all orchards, pumpkin patches, etc. They are merely a starting point for your planning.
Shunpike your way to an apple orchard. You might already have a favorite local orchard, or you might want to try a new one. Buy some fresh apples to snack on. Buy extra to bake an apple pie, make some apple fritters, or cook up some homemade applesauce. If you don’t bake, many of the orchards have a bakery where you can buy a premade pie. Don’t forget to treat yourself to an apple cider doughnut or a caramel apple.
Take a drive to a pumpkin farm and pick out some pumpkins. Some farms give you a horse-drawn or tractor wagon ride out to the pumpkin patch to pick the biggest pumpkin you can carry. Maybe you’ll find a farm with a pumpkin catapult or corn cannon. Farms usually have other items for sale including winter squash, mums, straw bales, corn shocks for decorating, and other fall gift items. Pumpkin Patches and More
Locate a corn maze and see if you can find your way through it. Don’t worry that you’ll be lost until the corn is harvested. You’ll be given a tall flag so that spotters know your whereabouts. They also offer you clues to assist you in finding your way through and some mazes offer prizes for solving puzzles while you navigate the maze. Many are open evening hours for moonlight or haunted maze experiences. Corn Maze Directory
Enjoy the colors of fall foliage. Notice the different colors in the farm fields. In early autumn, the corn starts turning from green to gold, and the soybeans turn a bright yellow before they fade to gold and finally a deep brown at harvest time. Stop at a park or a trail and take a hike in the woods. Listen to the fallen leaves as they rustle beneath your feet. (Don’t forget to stop at the park office and get a trail guide. Some of the trails are long and strenuous and the park staff will help you pick an appropriate trail for your hike.) Many states have fall color updates. Here is the Wisconsin Fall Color Update site. Wisconsin Fall Color Update
As you drive, watch the harvested farm fields for groups of Sandhill Cranes. The cranes begin to gather together in late summer in preparation for fall migration. In Wisconsin, it’s possible to find groups of several hundred cranes foraging in a field. The best times to see the cranes are early morning or late afternoon. If you find a flock of cranes, pause and watch the group to see if the cranes will dance for you.
Whatever you decide to do this year to celebrate Autumn, be safe and Happy Shunpiking!
Ruth
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