330 Cold Soil Road Trenton Farmer’s Market Princeton, NJ 08540 • (609) 924-2310 Spruce Street www.TerhuneOrchards.com (609) 695-7855 email [email protected] FALL 2015

Apple Day Launches Terhune’s 39th Mount Family Season of Fall Festival Update eptember’s arrival brings so ing Apple Day a local tradition since we much excitement here in cen- began. Come celebrate our abundant apple by Pam Mount tral . School begins. harvest and all the other joys of the fall sea- e are so lucky here at Terhune The leaves begin to show a glimmer of fall son on a farm. As your arrive, inhale the Orchards and in New Jersey color and here at Terhune Orchards, we get aroma of fragrant apple pies wafting in in general; that as the seasons to share our favorite season of the year with from our bakery. change, we all can enjoy something very visitors to the farm. A full day of fun on the special at this time of year. Fall is certainly It seems like such a long farm awaits the entire a surprise after a hot summer. Cool and time ago when our apple family. Enjoy the fresh air crisp weather with trees of all colors make trees began to show off pink and views of our preserved for great family fun picking apples and and white blossoms in the farmlands during a horse drinking fresh cider. spring. Now those tiny flow- drawn wagon or tractor ers have turned into big, wagon ride. Explore our crisp, juicy apples that are fabulous mazes created perfect for picking, eating with corn stalks and hay fresh and baking. bales. Don’t get lost! We loved apples Fall Fam - so much when we ily Week ends started the farm, we begin on the decided to hold a third weekend day to celebrate all in Septem ber things apple. After and continue 40 seasons, our through the enthusiasm—and first weekend apple orchards continued to grow. So large in November. that Apple Day now happens over the For seven weeks there are opportunities for course of two days on one glorious weekend, pumpkin painting, listening to some good September 12 and 13 and the Fall Family old-fashioned country music and visiting Weekends continue through November 1st. t h e fields to pick your own pumpkins and The Mount Clan. The Mount family welcomes new guests apples. For the Mount family, fall is harvest to the farm and those that have been mak- (continued on page 3) time and festival time—all hands on deck! Mom and Dad (Pam and Gary) have been celebrating apple harvest for 40 years. We never get tired of the fun! Reuwai, our old- est daughter now works full-time at the farm. Her husband, Mike teaches history at Pick Your Own Apples at Lawrenceville Prep School and is the wine- maker for our apple wine in his spare time. Terhune Orchards Their daughters, Maya 11, Tess and Sasha, 8 are great farm store helpers. Our daugh- hen the weather turns crisp, grassy paths through the trees. Pick your ter, Tannwen has been on the farm for apple picking at Terhune season opening day is September 5th. twelve years and is seeing the of her Orchards is a must on any All of our apple trees are dwarf vari- labor with the five-year anniversary of local family’s fun list. Come out to see how eties. These small trees make it easy for Terhune Orchards and Winery. apples are grown and be amazed at how children or adults to pick. Our friendly Her husband, Jim, is a history teacher at many colorful varieties we grow and the orchard staff can direct you to rows loaded Montgomery High School and manages the subtle differences in how they taste. with perfectly ripe, juicy apples and show pick-your-own apples in the fall. Their son Our Van Kirk Road orchard is open for you the best way to pick them. Instead of Becket, 7 and new twins Hadley and picking every day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., pulling an apple straight down from the Clayton, 9 months bring delight to us all. weather permitting from September branch, we suggest you cup an apple in your Our son Mark is now a sergeant in the through October. On the weekends, take a hand, roll it upwards and twist it free. As US Army stationed in Louisiana with his wagon ride to the picking areas or stroll the they say, it’s all in the wrist! family Vicki and children, Madison, 7 and Pick your own apples are sold per Wyatt, 3. Mark will be off to Afghanistan pound. To find out which varieties are avail- this month for his 4th tour there as a liaison able on the day of your visit, call the farm between the US Army and the Afghanistan store 609-924-2310. Throughout the season military. you may find: The Mount family, all 90 strong of us, Early Fuji–eat this sweet, crisp apple gathered to spend a long weekend together right out of hand here in August. This family reunion was Empire–juicy, perfect for applesauce, very special since our girls, Reuwai and pies, desserts Tannwen are the 11th generation of Mounts Fuji–very sweet, crisp, fresh eating, to farm in Central NJ. With our 200 acres long storage life permanently preserved through the NJ (continued on page 4) (continued on page 4) From the Roots Up by Gary Mount

ostly when we talk about , we myself included, buy their trees from com- are talking varieties. Rainier, mercial nurseries. Crimson Crisp, Pink Lady, Another way that growers use grafting Honeycrisp are fine, respectable names for is to change over a planting from one vari- some really good varieties. Some tradition- ety to another, a process called top-working. al, even historic names are out there too— Keeping in mind that the rootstock is Stayman Winesap, McIntosh, Jersey important and that an established root- Queen. They are some pretty good varieties stock is more so, the top of the tree is cut off as well. in May and pencil sized pieces of wood are But when you look at a tree, it is not just inserted in slits made in the bark of the the variety —that is, the top part of the tree rootstock. The power of the established root that is worth looking at. Look Down! Down leads to a rapid re-establishment of the to the engine room of the tree, the roots. tree—getting rid of an undesirable variety Their names are not so good, not so inter- and replacing it with a better one. It is not esting—things like M9, B9, MM111, just a simple process though, as we have Geneva 11, but so much of the goodness of learned. Felipe Molina is the best grafter the tree comes from the roots ( the Michigan here—we topworked some trees 22 years and Canadian growers call them “ruts”) No ago when he first started working here and But the story is not over. A recent devel- varieties are on their own roots. The then did some more this past May. opment is the grafting of tomatoes and mel- Honeycrisp, for instance, does not grow on It takes a lot of work to figure all this ons. The rootstocks are more vigorous and Honeycrisp roots. All fruit trees are grafted out and to learn which are the best root- more productive. They resist disease—all or budded onto vegetatively produced root- stocks and how to produce them. I am a this from a little rootstock with a stem stocks that will result in uniform trees. member of an international fruit growers about the size of the pencil I am using for Some roots provide excellent anchor- organization that has funded research in my rough draft. Our vegetable specialist on age—French crabapple is particularly out- fruit rootstocks for over 50 years. I have the farm, Scott Van Kuikan has had some standing at this although it produces too been chair of the research committee for 25 “interesting” experiences trying to graft large a tree for the modern orchardist. All years and every year we award grower con- tomatoes. They are not easy to do. roots of course have to be good at picking up tributed funds to university researchers. I The next time you come to the orchard nutrients and water but some also provide am also president of a new foundation the and look at the trees, look down. The joint size control, disease control and even insect organization has formed to enhance future between the top and the root is usually vis- control. (One aphid we are having trouble funding. Yes, rootstocks are that important. ible. Just stand there and think about all with in the orchards right now is the wooly One particular rootstock trait that I like the engine room of the tree does from the apple aphid which spends part time in the is resistance to the bacterial disease, roots up. tree top and part time on the roots. It helps Fireblight. This disease is just awful. If to have a rootstock that is resistant!) enough of it gets into the living bark of a The size control aspect is particularly tree, the tree is dead—I lost quite a few last valuable. One thing that an orchardist year. The root of the tree is particularly fast Enter the 9th wants is a uniform orchard, one that will fill to go, except if it is resistant. We support a the space allotted with fruitful trees. No lot of work on fireblight resistance. Annual Terhune runts, no oversized trees. Rootstocks do this. Orchards Photo Another characteristic of roots is their influence on precocity, which means in fruit Contest growing just about what it does in chil- Raise Dough for Your ave you been inspired to take pho- dren—good results coming sooner. It is just Group with Our Pies tos while visiting our farm? Show amazing to me to see two trees side by side, Our pies are a wonderful fundrais- us what caught your eye and same size, same age, but on different roots. enter to win our annual photo contest. ing opportunity at the holidays. We One can be full of apples and the other bare. Amateur, student and professional pho- Sometimes growers graft trees them- bake them, you sell them – for a tasty tographers are welcome to submit their best selves. Rootstocks are available to buy and profit that benefits your school groups, photos taken at Terhune Orchards. The once the variety is grafted on top, the trees churches, charities and clubs. Choose deadline for entries is Tuesday, September are placed in an on the farm nursery and from over 20 varieties of pies. Order a 8. Submit a printed and matted photo and planted out in the orchard the next year. minimum of 25 pies and receive a dis- digital file by email or on CD. There is tremendous demand for fruit trees count. Call Leslie at 609-924-2310 or All entries will be displayed in the win- right now and this is a way to get trees email [email protected] for ery tasting room throughout the fall. The sooner. However, growing a nursery tree is details. first place winner and honorable mention an exacting process and most growers, winners will receive a gift card to the farm store as the prize. Complete rules and entry information are available at the farm store Plan a Fall School Tour or terhuneorchards.com. utumn is a wonderful time for and make some new friends in the barn- student groups to visit the farm yard. Add pumpkin or apple picking for to see how apple trees grow, learn more fall fun. about the importance of bees as pollinators Our experienced and knowledgeable tour guides tailor each tour to group age and interest. Elizabeth “Bettie” Wells has been giving guided tours of the farm to school children since 2007. She loves shar- ing her own experiences growing up on a farm, telling stories about how much fun and rewarding life on the farm is and educating children to respect the environ- ment. It gives us great joy to invite local school children to visit our outdoor classroom–a working family farm on preserved farm- lands. Tours are available by appointment. Call 609-924-2310 to schedule a visit. Terhune Orchards and Winery Host Corporate Events Celebrates Five-Year Anniversary and Family Gatherings at Terhune Orchards n 2010, the winery opened with something for every palate. For red wine 4.5 acres in vine and five wines. enthusiasts, we offer “Barn Red, ” a et your team out of the office and Now in our fifth year of operation, and reinvigorated this fall with a we’ve expanded to growing grapes for our blend with cherry and strawberry aromas. group outing at Terhune wines on eight acres and we offer eleven Our “Rooster Red” is semi-sweet and simi- Orchards. An event filled with farm fresh wines. lar to a light port. Unwind after a long day food, picking activities and a little outdoor “We are thrilled to see how well the cus- with a glass in front of a crackling fire. We adventure is a great way to reward employ- tomers receive the wines when they visit also have several varieties of white, too. The ees. Whether you are a non-profit, large cor- the tasting room” said Tannwen Mount, is a light, dry wine with a trace poration or a family group looking for a who returned to the family farm in 2006 to of oak. The “Farmhouse White” dry, table help establish the vineyard and winery wine features hints of pear. We especially with her father, Gary. like it with Asian dishes. Our award winning apple-based wines are the perfect complement to any meal. Our Apple Wine, made with our own apple cider, pairs perfectly with pork, chicken and cheese plates. For those that aren’t quite ready to let summer go, extend those warm, fuzzy feelings with Just Peachy, our apple wine blended with peach. It won the Governor’s Cup in 2014. We are members of two associations that organize wine trail events around the unique setting for a group activity, Terhune state. Vintage North Jersey More than Orchards offers options for making memo- Wine Trail Weekend will be offering unique rable events. Host your staff lunch, customer appreci- ation event or team building exercises on our picturesque 200-acre farm. Optional catering and packages are available. A fall visit to the farm offers fresh air, opportunities to pick apples or pump- kins as a group and customizable space to gather and collaborate with your co-work- ers and friends. Are you looking for a gift for a job well “ industry has been done or a reward for loyal customers? Pre- growing and more and more people are paid admissions to our Apple Day and Fall interested in buying local,” Tannwen said. A Festivals are a terrific way to say thanks. local resident who travels to Italy to buy We also offer gift baskets and boxes brim- wines for his job came in recently. He told ming with local products that let your cor- us he regularly travels over 10,000 miles to porate clients and employees know you are find good wines for his job as a professional wine pairings and samples of Jersey Fresh thinking of them. wine buyer and he only had to travel 9 products from area partners all weekend, For more information, email miles from his home to find eleven great November 7 and 8. Come kickoff the holi- [email protected] or call wines. day season with a cup of our mulled wine at Tannwen at 609-924-2310. Over the summer, some of our cus- the Garden State Wine Growers Association tomers created nicknames for our wines. Holiday Wine Trail Weekend on Nov. 27, 28, One creative visitor called our blush wine, and 29. The Front Porch Breeze “my swimming Our tasting room, located in our historic 39th Fall Festival 150-year old red barn, is open Friday pool wine” and Cold Soil White “my ham- (continued from page 1) mock wine.” We invite you to share your through Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. Our own feedback with us on your next visit. wine is also available every day in the farm Stop to enjoy the colorful mum display Our wines made with our own grapes store, online and at the Trenton Farmers on your way to The Adventure Barn. It is offer a wide variety of wine varietals with Market on Fridays and Saturdays. decorated differently each year and tells the story of life on a farm. Be sure to stop by the barnyard to visit the animals. Take a pony ride, too. Stroll the Farm Trail to get up close and personal with nature. Have your face painted like the butterflies that dance in the fields. There are scavenger hunts, a new rubber duck race and many more children’s activities. Pam’s Food Tent is always an option for lunch with new seasonal delights being added to the menu. Indulge in pulled pork sandwiches, hot dogs, chicken pot pies, chili, hearty soups and other traditional fare. A day here isn’t complete without quenching your thirst with a cup of our freshly pressed apple cider. Pam cooks up apple goodies for the Apple Buffet. Treat yourself to a taste of our very own apples in cider donuts, pies, muffins, salads and much more. We even have gluten-free cookies, sugar-free pies and options for vegans to enjoy. Apple Day and the Fall Family Weekends are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Admission to all festival days is $5, ages 3 and up. Parking and access to the farm store and winery is free. Calendar of Events – Fall 2015 Birthday Parties on the Farm Sept. 5 Pick Your Own Apple Season Oct. 17 Fall Family Fun Weekend ur barnyard birthday parties begins & 18 10 a.m.–5 p.m. are a unique way to celebrate Sept. 8 Photo contest deadline at Oct. 24 Fall Family Fun Weekend with your family and friends. 5 p.m. & 25 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Your guests will enjoy a wagon ride through Sept. 8 Read & Pick: Chickens, Oct. 31, Fall Family Fun Weekend the fields, farm activities, games and pedal 9:30 a.m. & 11 a.m. Nov. 1 10 a.m.–5 p.m. tractor rides. Held in a reserved area of the Sept 12 Apple Day 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Nov. 1-26 Order your Thanksgiving farm, party goers enjoy two hours of farm & 13 pies & crisps fun. Sept. 19 Fall Family Fun Weekend Nov. 7 & 8 More Than Just Wine Trail & 20 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Weekend Sept. 22 Read & Pick: Tractors, Nov. 14 Pie Sampling Weekend 9:30 a.m. & 11 a.m. & 15 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sept. 26 Fall Family Fun Weekend Nov. 24 Farm store open late until & 27 10 a.m.–5 p.m. & 25 7 p.m. for your Thanksgiving Oct. 3 & 4 Fall Family Fun Weekend shopping 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Nov 26 Thanksgiving Day. Farm Oct. 6 Read & Pick: Pumpkins, store open 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. 9:30 a.m. & 11 a.m. Nov. 27, Holiday Wine Trail Weekend Oct. 10, Fall Family Fun Columbus 28, 29 12–5 p.m. 11 & 12 Day Weekend 10 a.m.–5 p.m. More details on all events at terhuneorchards.com Children of all ages love visiting the barnyard to feed our friendly animals. Get to know the goats, sheep, chicken and Farm Store, Barn Yard, & Farm Trail: geese. Be sure to say hello to Mexicali Open to the public daily all year. the farm horse and our dogs, Apple and Winery and Tasting Room: Open Fri-Sun 12pm-5pm Peach. Packages include a birthday cake or School and Group Tours: By appointment, April through October. cupcakes and our fresh pressed apple cider. Barnyard Birthday Parties: By appointment, April through October Each child takes home happy memories and Corporate and Private events: By appointment, year round a Terhune Orchards coloring book. If your celebration is held on the morn- Pick-Your-Own Schedule ing of one of our Fall Festival weekends, admission to the festival is included with May—Asparagus, Strawberries your party. Enjoy the additional fun activi- June—Blueberries, Sweet Cherries, Sour Cherries July—Blueberries, Blackberries, Flowers ties on the farm—corn stalk maze, adven- August—Blackberries, Flowers ture barn, pumpkin painting, music and September & October—Apples, Pumpkins, Flowers more. Pony rides and face painting are also Call the Farm Store 609-924-2310 for information on the availability available for an additional charge. of specific varieties. Choose from our birthday party pack- ages for groups of 15, 30 or 45 guests. The birthday child’s immediate family is free. We host discounted weekday parties, per- fect for planning a celebration for pre- Pick Your Own (continued from page 1) schoolers or older children after a day at Golden Delicious–sweet, pies, baking, One of our favorite things to do after school or on one of the many school holidays freezing picking apples is make a big batch of apple- during the fall. Granny Smith–tart, all-purpose sauce. Pam loves to blend equal parts of Call 609-924-2310 for pricing informa- Jonamac–peels easily, use in crisps Golden Delicious and Stayman Winesap. tion and scheduling. More information on and sauce She uses Terhune’s apple cider instead of the Groups & Parties page of our website. Jonathan–crisp, mildly tart, great water to cook the apples down until they for pie are tender. No additional sugar is needed. Liberty–red skin, juicy flesh Leave the skins on while cooking to retain McIntosh–aromatic, cooks quickly, all the fruit’s vitamins. When the apples are easy to peel soft, Pam uses a Foley food mill to separate Macoun–very crunchy, fresh eating, out the skins from the applesauce. Pick up Directions to salads and sauces more of Pam’s favorite apple recipes in the Red Delicious–sweet, juicy, low acidity farm store. (We have the Foley food mills in Terhune Orchards Stayman Winesap–Our most popular stock, too.) Directions: Travel on the New Jersey apple, flavorful, tart, keeps well Turnpike South to Exit 9, transfer to Rte #1 South for about 20 miles, then take Interstate 95 South (different from the Awards NJ Turnpike) to the second exit for Rte Terhune Orchards was recognized in 206 North, Lawrenceville-Princeton. 2015 by The New Jersey Department of Take route #206 to the fourth traffic light Environmental Pro tection’s Environ - and turn left onto Cold Soil Road. The mental Steward ship Initiative for our vol- main farm is on the right, 3 miles from untary and proactive measures to Rte #206. improve the environment and ensure a sustainable future. In July, The Senate and General Family Update Assembly presented a joint legislative (continued from page 1) resolution honoring Gary and Pam Mount Farmland Preservation Program, our on the occasion of the farm ‘s 40th daughters are committed to continuing the anniversary for their “peerless record of farming tradition here and each are pro- service and commitment to the preserva- ducing a batch of great 12th generation tion and vitality of the New Jersey agri- farm workers. cultural community. “ All is well here at Terhune Orchards.