Weekend greetings-

This next week is in full steam ahead leading up to our local Apple Festival. The small community we live in, Manton, usually has a population around 500 but on the first Saturday in October each year the Apple Festival attracts more than 5000 visitors! It is a first rate crafts fair with many food vendors, apple goods and live music all day.

This festival was started by locals 30 years ago and is a huge community effort to pull it off each year. One of the many awesome things about the festival is that proceeds generated are granted to the various non profits in Manton like the volunteer fire dept and education programs.

I am involved in a few different ways.

1. Look for Redwood Seeds for sale! We will be sharing a booth space in the center aisle near the music along with the local Sugar Pine Farm selling produce. Seeds sold at the festival are priced for selling! $3 each or 4 for $10 or 10 for $20. It is a great way to stock up for next season.

2. Apple pies are a huge attraction at the festival. I am a founding member of the Manton Education Council and selling whole pies to fund our education enrichment programs is our main fundraiser of the year. Last year we baked 280 apple pies and this year we are going for 300 plus 5" apple crumbles. That is a lot of pie and it is amazing how the community comes together to accomplish this.

Our pie profits support the free after school enrichment program, Club Mustang, that runs 5 days a week as well as the brand new Homeschool Program that runs 2 days a week. My homeschool kids participate in both programs and we are deeply grateful to be part of a community that supports its kids in this way.

Last weekend we sorted the apples. The most beautiful will be sold by the pound by the Apple Festival committee and those with any with blemishes went into the pies boxes. We use a blend of sweet and tart apples for just the right flavor. Today, Saturday the 24th, we are peeling 800 lbs of apples and mixing them with sugar, flour and cinnamon until the job is done.

Then next Thursday we roll out dough and bake and bake and bake. Many thanks to our local Moore's Flour Mill for their generous donation of 200 lbs pastry flour for our effort! We will use it all. Friday we wrap the pies and set up. Then Saturday, Oct 1st is the big day. We sell about half of the pies whole and then the other half as slices with a scoop of ice cream. If you are hoping to go home with a whole pie or even just have a slice I recommend arriving before noon. They sell fast and even though we always try to make more than the year before they sell out!

Find our pie booth in the main tent in the middle of the festival with the music! Right next door to us the Apple Festival Committee will be selling fresh apples and apple fritters. Stay to enjoy music throughout the day and the 100+ booths filled with crafts, food and more.

Stop by our Redwood Seeds booth or the pie booth to say hi! We hope to see you there!

Kalan