Who We Are



The past few years, the area where I live, Crawford County, Ohio, has seen a wonderful explosion of younger families who are embracing the joys and challenges of living off the land. Because of them, amazing things are happening which have been embraced by our community. Farmer’s markets have been created and on-farm stores have opened. Families dedicated to growing organic produce and naturally raised meats are meeting the public’s needs for locally raised foods. And at the heart of this movement are the women.



Ohio Country Journal is my attempt to share the essence of farm life, focusing on, but not limited to, women. My goal is to bring you into our circle of friendship by inviting you to share your stories and experiences with us. You don’t have to be a full time country woman to benefit from joining us; you just have to be you.





The full-time country women featured in Ohio Country Journal are an inspiration to anyone who dares to follow her dreams, whether it is to live in the country or to bring the country life-style to their urban neighborhoods.





Thursday, September 26, 2013

Making Apple Cider, Part 2

“I heard a sound as of scraping tripe, / And putting apples wondrous ripe, / Into a cider- press's gripe.”

Robert Browning


Apple cider has always been a popular beverage, but let's face it; cider did not have to compete with the likes refreshing soft drinks, like colas. Never fear: these days, consumer demand for natural and organic food makes pure apple cider more popular than ever.

Today's post explains the first steps the cider mill took in processing our order.




We had too many apples for the large crate, but not enough to mess with filling another. The extra apples were stacked on top of the load to be transported to the cider making area.





 The bags and crates were hand-loaded into the conveyor.  




 Next, a hydraulic lift tilted the large crate to unload it. As the apples are being moved from the crate to the conveyor, a worker stands by to remove things like leaves or large stems.

Notice that the workers wear ear protection. The noise from the machines can get as loud as a rock concert! 






The apples are collected into a large metal cage, where a stream of water washes away any debris. Then the apples go into a massive chopper. 






At this point, the apples are "half way there" in their transformation from solid to liquid. Tomorrow's photos will show how it is done.

Marcheta *step-by-step




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