Fall. When we think of autumn, we think of the magnificent colors that adorn our landscape. We start drinking our comforting hot drinks again. This season arrives with its fresh wind, finally inviting us to put on our big wool sweaters and scarves! But above all, it’s apple picking time at last!
APPLES
Because we like to pick our apples from apple trees, fall is especially special in the lower Laurentians. For those of us who are fans of apple picking, St-Joseph-du-Lac and its surroundings is THE PLACE to go!
Did you know that there are nearly twenty orchards that are accessible during the September and October months to pick all kinds of apples? You can even pick pumpkins!
Because of course, autumn rhymes with pumpkin, we went to our beautiful region to look for an orchard to tell you all about our adventure! And we stopped at “À la croisée de la pomme”.
EXPERIENCE AT “À LA CROISÉE DES POMMES”
Arriving on-site, there is a small kiosk where one can buy his or her apple bags. They offer reusable bags at a low cost and when the inventory of plastic bags has run out, the orchard will no longer carry them! BRAVO! But in addition, he encourages us to take the reusable bags that we already have in our cars, and then a tractor brings us to the very end of the orchard, where the owner is waiting for us.
When the group arrives, Stéphane invites us to join him. He then explains a little bit of his story and that of the orchard. Organic since 2011, he explains how he came to stop all chemicals and go organic, but also how he came to work with nature, rather than against it!
What surprised us was that Stéphane took the time to explain how to actually pick an apple properly. We realized that we had no idea how to do it! The way you do this is important to preserve the taste of the apple, but also to protect the tree and help it keep a beautiful bloom for the following year.
Located throughout the orchard, we find several wooden crates. The owners have set up a system of self-management of the cleanliness of the soil. Customers are invited to pick up unwanted apples and put them in these large bins. These apples are then transformed into products like organic applesauce! What ingenuity! But above all, the apples we brought home are EXCELLENT!
THANK YOU
This day, in addition to being fun, was constructive. And we would like to thank the owners and staff of “À la croisée des pommes” for their commitment to the environment and their customers!
Elodie
Team Forbes
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