This weekend is the last of the Harvest Festival - so you definitely don't want to miss the great activities happening at the farm in the next couple days! We have seen a little bit of snow already, but there's still some Fall season left to enjoy. Be sure to keep warm and get active with Team T&J on the farm Oct. 29th for three shows in the hayloft. It's happening rain or shine - so even if it's a wet cloudy day, you can get the kids out to burn some energy in a fun, positive way. Also, Oct 30th is a great demonstration of apple cider pressing; a delicious and educational experience!
If you've visited the farm, you've seen the lines of apple trees behind the animal barn. These branches are looking pretty bare now that they have been picked this week and those apples are going to be made into cider this weekend.
Apple cider has quite a long history behind it, in fact, the Greeks and Romans mastered the art of cider making. When Romans invaded England around 55 BC, they found that cider was also being enjoyed by the locals there. By that time, apple trees were well established across Europe and Asia. It was in southern England, France, and Spain that they developed and perfected different cider making techniques. Evidence of this ancient art can be found in the European countryside 
today, where large circular apple grinding stones used to crush the fruit are still half buried in the fields.
October has been a great month filled with multiple school tour groups almost everyday. The farm educators lead the kids in learning about how food is grown on the farm, feeding the animals, picking a pumpkin, and so much more. Farmer Cam was driving the tractor for the wagon rides, which are always a hit with the kids. Each ride ended with a chorus of little voices shouting, "Thanks, Cam!"
The farm fun continues on beyond Harvest Festival and Halloween. Look forward to a Winter Urn Workshop coming up in November, as well as cookie decorating, Christmas crafts, and caroling in December!
Stop in to the farm market for root crops, squash, and more for making those hearty soups and stews! As the weather gets chillier, we love to see more comfort foods on the menu. To get you started, visit this collection of Warming Soups and Stews from Food Network: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/photos/warming-soups-and-stews.html
Harvest Festival activities wrap up this weekend - but Forsythe Family Farms 2009 Inc is still open after Halloween!
You can enjoy visiting the farm on weekends in November and daily from Dec. 2 until Dec. 24th.
The farm market is the perfect place to pick up a Christmas tree, holiday baking, and order a turkey for your family dinner.