Smallest Pumpkin Contest

Tiny Pumpkin Photo by Jerry Apps
As we slowly move into autumn, one national event captures attention each year—who has grown the largest pumpkin? I thought about the big pumpkin contests for a couple of years when I managed to grow a pumpkin that weighed nearly 150 pounds if I remember correctly. Perhaps a memory about big pumpkins is like big fish, they grow bigger in memory over time, but it was a big pumpkin.

I did a little checking and discovered that in 2019, 34 states held or are holding a big pumpkin contest, beginning with Alaska with its “Midnight Sun Great Pumpkin Weigh-Off” held last August in Palmer. California has eight different pumpkin festivals scattered around the state. New Hampshire has five, as does Michigan. Four pumpkin festivals are noted for Wisconsin including the Nekoosa “Giant Pumpkin Festival slated for October 5-6.

Wondering who got the prize for the biggest pumpkin in 2018? This giant of all pumpkins for the year weighed 2,528 pounds and was grown by a fellow in New Hampshire and exhibited at the Deerfield Fair in that state.

Quickly realizing that with my sandy, western Waushara County soil, my chances of growing a pumpkin weighing a ton were nil to none. So, taking the pumpkin by its stem, I decided to begin a new pumpkin contest. It’s a contest for the poor soil gardeners who never win anything in the “Big” category. Who can grow the smallest pumpkin? I offer the above as my entry. It is one inch across—a fully formed, orange pumpkin. Anyone with a smaller pumpkin?

THE OLD TIMER SAYS: Small can be beautiful.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

October 1, (Tuesday), 12:15 p.m. Wisconsin Historical Society Museum, on the Square in Downtown Madison. Topic: The Land Still Lives.

October 5, (Saturday), 10-2:00 p.m. Dregne’s, Westby. Book signing with Daughter, Sue.

October 22, (Tuesday) 6;30 Sun Prairie Public Library, Sun Prairie, WI

October 24, (Thursday) 1:00 p.m. Friends of Muehl Public Library and Outagamie County Home and Community Education Assoc. Emmanuel Lutheran Church, 349 N. Main St. , Seymour, WI “Rural Wit and Wisdom”

November 9, (Saturday) 9:00 a.m. 2nd Sat. Plymouth Art Center, Plymouth, WI. Sheboygan County Historical Research Center. “Farm Winter With Jerry Apps

November 14, (Thursday) 6:00 p.m. Patterson Memorial Library, Wild Rose. The Land Still lives launch.

November 18, 1:00 p.m. Kiel Public Library, Kiel, WI. “Wisconsin. CCC”

To learn more about my gardening efforts, pick up a copy of my book, Garden Wisdom, Wisconsin Historical Society Press.
Available for purchase from your local bookstore or buy them from the Friends of the Patterson Memorial Library in Wild Rose—a fundraiser for them. Phone: 920-622-3835 for prices and ordering.
Patterson Memorial Library
500 Division Street
Wild Rose, WI 54984
barnard@wildroselibrary.
www.wildroselibrary.org

Smallest Pumpkin Contest

Smallest Pumpkin                                                       Photo by Jerry Apps

As we slowly move into autumn, one national event captures attention each year—who has grown the largest pumpkin?  I thought about the big pumpkin contests for a couple of years when I managed to grow a pumpkin that weighed nearly 150 pounds, if I remember correctly.  Perhaps a memory about big pumpkins is like big fish, they grow bigger in memory over time, but it was a big pumpkin.

I did a little checking and discovered that in 2019, 34 states held or are holding a big pumpkin contest, beginning with Alaska with its “Midnight Sun Great Pumpkin Weigh-Off” held last August in Palmer.  California has eight different pumpkin festivals scattered around the state.  New Hampshire has five, as does Michigan.  Four pumpkin festivals are noted for Wisconsin including the Nekoosa “Giant Pumpkin Festival slated for October 5-6.

Wondering who got the prize for the biggest pumpkin in 2018?  This giant of all pumpkins for the year weighed 2,528 pounds and was grown by a fellow in New Hampshire and exhibited at the Deerfield Fair in that state.

Quickly realizing that with my sandy, western Waushara County soil, my chances of growing a pumpkin weighing a ton were nil to none.  So, taking the pumpkin by its stem, I decided to begin a new pumpkin contest.  It’s a contest for the poor soil gardeners who never win anything in the “Big” category.  Who can grow the smallest pumpkin?  I offer the above as my entry.  It is one inch across—a fully formed, orange pumpkin.  Anyone with a smaller pumpkin?

THE OLD TIMER SAYS: Small can be beautiful.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS: Small can be beautiful.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

October 1, (Tuesday), 12:15 p.m. Wisconsin Historical Society Museum, on the Square in Downtown Madison. Topic: The Land Still Lives.

October 5, (Saturday), 10-2:00 p.m. Dregne’s, Westby. Book signing with Daughter, Sue.

October 12(Saturday) 1:00 p.m., Fox Cities Book Festival, Menasha Public Library. CCC history.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

October 22, (Tuesday) 6;30 Sun Prairie Public Library, Sun Prairie, WI

October 24, (Thursday) 1:00 p.m. Friends of Muehl Public Library and Outagamie County Home and Community Education Assoc. Emmanuel Lutheran Church, 349 N. Main St. , Seymour, WI  “Rural Wit and Wisdom”

November 9, (Saturday) 9:00 a.m. 2^nd Sat. Plymouth Art Center, Plymouth, WI. Sheboygan County Historical Research Center.  “Farm Winter With  Jerry Apps

November 14, (Thursday) 6:00 p.m. Patterson Memorial Library, Wild Rose.  The Land Still lives launch.

November 18, 1:00 p.m. Kiel Public Library, Kiel, WI.  “Wisconsin. CCC”

To learn more about my gardening efforts, pick up a copy of my book,  Garden Wisdom, Wisconsin Historical Society Press.

Available for purchase from your local bookstoreor buy them from the Friends of the Patterson Memorial Library in Wild Rose—a fundraiser for them. Phone: 920-622-3835 for prices and ordering.
Patterson Memorial Library
500 Division Street
Wild Rose, WI 54984
barnard@wildroselibrary..

Abundant Grape Vines

Grapevines on the Woodshed
Photo by Jerry Apps

With all the rain this summer, the wild grapes have outdone themselves. We have grapevines at Roshara climbing to the tops of trees that are fifty feet and taller. We have grapevines crawling to the top of the woodshed. We have grapevines crawling over the lilac bushes. We have grapevines hanging over the back trail to the prairie.

I’m reminded when I was a kid on the home farm; one summer produced an abundant grape crop. Pa came home one day, after seeing more wild grapes than he usually did and told my mother we should bottle up some of the grapes so we might have some grape juice during the long, cold days of winter. Ma agreed that would be a good idea.

Pa fetched some unused beer bottles from the cellar where they had been gathering dust, washed them, and began stuffing the little wild grapes into the bottles until each bottle was mostly full. Ma filled the bottles the rest of the way with well water, and then with a bottle capper, they fitted caps to each bottle. They stored the bottles on shelves in the cellar along with all the other fruits and vegetables that Ma had canned.

A month or so later, in the middle of a dark night, a loud explosion awakened us. My brothers and I ran downstairs. Pa had already figured out what had happened. One of the grape juice bottles had exploded. The grapes had fermented. There was glass and juice and grapes everywhere. What a mess they created.

THE OLDTIMER SAYS: Be careful what you stuff into a bottle and seal with a cap.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

October 5, 10-2:00 p.m. Dregne’s, Westby. Book signing with Daughter, Sue.

October 22, 6;30 Sun Prairie Public Library, Sun Prairie, WI

October 24, 1:00 p.m. Friends of Muehl Public Library and Outagamie County Home and Community Education Assoc. Emmanuel Lutheran Church, 349 N. Main St. , Seymour, WI “Rural Wit and Wisdom”

November 9, 9:00 a.m. 2nd Sat. Plymouth Art Center, Plymouth, WI. Sheboygan County Historical Research Center. “Farm Winter With Jerry Apps”

November 18, 1:00 p.m. Kiel Public Library, Kiel, WI. “Wisconsin. CCC”

To learn more about Roshara, pick up a copy of my book, OLD FARM: A HISTORY.

Available for purchase from your local bookstore or buy them from the Friends of the Patterson Memorial Library in Wild Rose—a fundraiser for them. Phone: 920-622-3835 for prices and ordering.
Patterson Memorial Library
500 Division Street
Wild Rose, WI 54984
barnard@wildroselibrary.
www.wildroselibrary.org

Saving the Monarch Butterfly

Monarch Butterfly on Blazing Star. Photo by Jerry Apps
.
The Monarch Butterfly depends on the milkweed for reproduction. With ample rains and warm sunny days, the prairie at Roshara is flourishing. Wildflowers are everywhere and milkweeds are abundant. Along with all the milkweeds in the prairie, the Blazing Star wildflower (Liatris) is also outdoing itself this year. Never have I seen such a display of this beautiful plant. And guess what? Monarch Butterflies feed on the nectar of Blazing Star wildflower.

With several acres of milkweeds and Blazing Star wildflowers, we have, dozens, maybe hundreds of Monarchs flitting about, enjoying the sunshine and feeding on their favorite wildflower. And preparing for their winter migration. On a sunny day, I stood on the prairie and just watched the Monarchs. They would feed on a Blazing Star for a time, fly a few feet, and then feed on another.

Monarch butterflies spend their winters in Mexico. Hard to believe, but these rather fragile butterflies fly many hundreds of miles to escape Wisconsin winters. Why don’t they remain in Mexico, one might ask? Well, they can’t survive the freezing temperatures of the north, but, alas, the plants they need for reproduction don’t grow in Mexico, so the spring generation of Monarchs flies north where the plants are plentiful.

One way we can help Monarchs survive is to plant some milkweeds—a plant that, when I was a kid, was considered a weed and we cultivated and hoed it out of our garden, the potato patch, the cucumber patch, wherever they grew. Now, we should let them grow.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS: Plant some milkweed seeds, save a Monarch butterfly.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

September 18, 9-4 Writing Workshop, Wyocena Public Library, Wyocena.

September 20, 12:30 p.m. UW-Platteville, Baraboo Campus, 1006 Connie Rd., Baraboo, WI. “History of WI Agriculture”

October 5, 10-2:00 p.m. Dregne’s, Westby. Book signing.

October 12 1:00 p.m., Fox Cities Book Festival, Menasha Public Library

October 22, 6;30 Sun Prairie Public Library, Sun Prairie, WI

October 24, 1:00 p.m. Friends of Muehl Public Library and Outagamie County Home and Community Education Assoc. Emmanuel Lutheran Church, 349 N. Main St. , Seymour, WI “Rural Wit and Wisdom”

November 9, 9:00 a.m. 2nd Sat. Plymouth Art Center, Plymouth, WI. Sheboygan County Historical Research Center. “Farm Winter With Jerry Apps”

November 18, 1:00 p.m. Kiel Public Library, Kiel, WI. “Wisconsin. CCC”


To learn more about the prairie at Roshara, pick up a copy of my book, OLD FARM: A HISTORY.
Available for purchase from your local bookstore or buy them from the Friends of the Patterson Memorial Library in Wild Rose—a fundraiser for them. Phone: 920-622-3835 for prices and ordering.
Patterson Memorial Library
500 Division Street
Wild Rose, WI 54984
barnard@wildroselibrary.
www.wildroselibrary.org

Early Fall Harvest

Photo by Jerry Apps
It’s only a red maple leaf, but seeing it brings back so many memories. When the first maple leaves began turning from green to red and yellow, farm work turned from summer activities to fall work. We had already harvested at least one cutting of hay and had filled the hay mows in the dairy barn to full and overflowing. We had cut the oat crop and the threshing crew came by the farm in mid-August to thresh the grain and refill the bins in the granary with oats.

Now, in September, with cooler evenings, and shorter days, we looked to the first harvest of fall—silo filling. Everyday Pa would walk the rows of our 20-acre cornfield, checking an ear here and there, looking for what he called corn in the “milk stage.” By this he meant, when poking a corn kernel, a milk-like substance appeared. When he was satisfied that the corn was ready, he hitched our trusty team of horses, Frank and Charlie, to the one-row corn binder. Soon rows of green, heavy, corn bundles appeared on the ground.

Pa phoned Ross Caves, who did custom silo filling, that our corn was cut and asked when he could come to the farm. In a day or two, he did. Pa summoned the neighbors, the same ones who helped with threshing. By night time, the silo was filled with corn cut into little pieces. It would immediately begin fermenting, and by late October and early November, it was ready to feed to the ever-hungry cows.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS: Fall, such a wonderful time to be alive.


UPCOMING EVENTS:
Wisconsin Public Radio (Ideas Network), Chapter a Day. Reading at 12:30 September 9-13: The Civilian Conservation Corps in Wisconsin. Read by Jim Fleming.

September 12, 7:00 p.m. Belleville H.S. Auditorium, Belleville. “Simple Things: Lessons From the Family Farm.”

September 18, 9-4 Writing Workshop, Wyocena Public Library, Wyocena.

September 20, 12:30 p.m. UW-Platteville, Baraboo Campus, 1006 Connie Rd., Baraboo, WI. “History of WI Agriculture”

October 5, 10-2:00 p.m. Dregne’s, Westby. Book signing.

October 12 1:00 p.m., Fox Cities Book Festival, Menasha Public Library

October 22, 6;30 Sun Prairie Public Library, Sun Prairie, WI

October 24, 1:00 p.m. Friends of Muehl Public Library and Outagamie County Home and Community Education Assoc. Emmanuel Lutheran Church, 349 N. Main St., Seymour, WI “Rural Wit and Wisdom”

November 9, 9:00 a.m. 2nd Sat. Plymouth Art Center, Plymouth, WI. Sheboygan County Historical Research Center. “Farm Winter With Jerry Apps”

November 18, 1:00 p.m. Kiel Public Library, Kiel, WI. “Wisconsin. CCC”

To learn more about farm life in the 1940s and early 1950s, read EVERY FARM TELLS A STORY and LIVING A COUNTRY YEAR.
Available for purchase from your local bookstore or buy them from the Friends of the Patterson Memorial Library in Wild Rose—a fundraiser for them. Phone: 920-622-3835 for prices and ordering.
Patterson Memorial Library
500 Division Street
Wild Rose, WI 54984
barnard@wildroselibrary.
www.wildroselibrary.org