Four Seasons on The Farm

In fall, from final garden harvests to cutting firewood and picking corn, all energies are focused on preparing for the long, cold winter.

By Don McKinley
Updated on September 13, 2023
article image
painting by Bethany Caskey.
Picking corn by hand was a daunting prospect for the lone farmer, and one often complicated by inclement weather. Painting “Teamwork”

Our local bird species are beginning to congregate into flocks for migration south, which signals a sure sign that fall is rapidly approaching. It is a time when we harvest mature garden crops planted last spring. School has started. Trees are beginning to undress. It is a time for preparation for the cold winter months.

The last cutting of alfalfa is in the haymow. The sickle mower, rakes and hay loader have been cleaned, greased and put away in the shed. Our molasses crop has matured and we will be taking the hand-stripped stalks to the processor soon. He will smash the stalks, collect the juice, boil it down and return our winter’s supply of molasses to us. We always try to glean and store everything possible that is edible, including black walnuts, for use by the family.

Fall apples are rapidly ripening and we will be making cider in the cider press any day now. We use Winesap, Golden Delicious and Rome Beauty apples. My family likes to drink the sweet cider but most of it is stored in the big wooden barrel in the basement. It will eventually turn to vinegar for use in the kitchen. We also store apples for pies, applesauce and eating.

The garden must be closed down and prepared for winter. Irish potatoes need to be dug, cleaned and stored in a slotted crate in the storm cellar. Sweet potatoes will be lifted, washed, dried and stored in wooden barrels in the basement. We find that when we alternate layers of oats and sweet potatoes in the barrels they do not readily rot. Beets will be canned but turnips, parsnips and rutabagas are stored in a large, 4-foot-deep hole dug at the end of the garden.

Online Store Logo
Need Help? Call 1-866-624-9388