I just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Easter on behalf of our family!  We hope everyone has a wonderful day with friends and family!

The big news at the orchard right now is that Mac is sitting on some eggs!  Now Mac sat on eggs a few years ago and nothing happened so we’re trying to not get our hopes up but how cool would it be to have some baby emu’s!?  We also don’t know how many are under him as he gets a bit ornery if we get too close – but we’ll take whatever! 

We’re finalizing the move from the old orchard to the new orchard this year.  Part of this transition is transplanting the blueberry bushes from the other orchard.  A few Saturday’s ago, Frank, Diane, Jared and the girls spent the day making the transition. Our plan in the years to come is to offer a pick your own blueberry experience but as it stands now we just don’t have the quantity to do this.  If you want blueberries be sure to sign up for our newsletter which can be easily done with the link in the upper left sidebar by clicking on ‘Subscribe to Our Newsletter’.  Each summer, when the blueberries ripen, I send out an updated and people can sign up for berries and the quantity they want.  It is done with a first come, first serve basis.  This is the only way that you can reserve the berries as the demand via this list is easily met each season so be sure to sign up!

 This is the year we’re making the final transitional steps between the two orchards.  One of those steps is transplanting the ‘younger’ apple trees from the old location to the new.Frank and his buddy spaded the trees out, burlapped bagged them, and put them on the trailer to bring to the Kroncke Road location.   Jared, Frank, Diane and the girls transplanted them throughout the orchard.  Later this month we’ll be getting in about 200+ new trees to plant (including 15 varieties that are new to our orchard).  It’s fun to watch things growing! Get a first hand look at all that’s going on when you stop by our orchard for Apple Blossom Days!

Help spread the word by inviting your friends via our facebook event:  http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=162439580481367

We have decided to continue on the tradition of Apple Blossom Days.

One change from last year is that we are going to hold it on two weekends this year – hopefully we’ll catch some blossoms. Last year we missed the blossoms as everything came super early. With this colder weather, I’m going to knock on wood, and say that shouldn’t be a problem this year…

WHEN: Saturday, May 7th and Sunday, May 8th from 10am – 4pm AND Saturday, May 14th and Sunday, May 15th from 10am - 4pm

WHERE: Lapacek’s Orchard: N1959 Kroncke Road, Poynette, WI

WHY: Have some fun in beautiful apple blossoms

Apple Blossom Days at the orchard are pretty laid back. We basically ‘open’ up the farm to you so you can enjoy the beauty of 20 acres of apple trees all in blossom. It is quite an experience and I’m glad we’re able to share that with you.

What else can you do?

• Photo Scavenger Hunt that if you complete it and follow all the directions you will be able to come back in the fall for a free bag of apples
• Our store/gift shop will be open with all products that we have available ‘off season’ – it will be a great opportunity to pick up something for Mom for Mother’s Day (May 8th – wow – it’s early this year!)
• Canned Goods
• Maple Syrup
• Honey
• Handmade Goods from Kim and Diane Lapacek
• Pottery from Blue Sky Pottery
• Bubble Wands
• and MORE!
• Let the kids run! Hopefully the weather will be nice and you can let your kids run through the orchard. It’s nice to finally get them out to stretch their legs and enjoy the weather. I know my two are itching to be out!
• Play on the tractor tire playground – I know everyone – young and old have been missing this fun contraption we put in last year
• Visit the animals – yup – Mac, Tosh, Itsy, Zestar!, Tree, Super April, the kitties, and the dogs all miss you!
• Visit with us! Frank, Diane and Jared have agreed to be ‘in charge’ for these few weekends. I should be around but if everything goes according to schedule I’ll have a brand new little one to be taking care of.

  Capri & Cedi in the 2010 Apple Blossoms

• PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES! Please feel free to take your own pictures at the orchard but if you’re interested in some great family (or just kids – or engagement or whatever) feel free to contact Cory of Friends in Photography http://www.friendsinphotography.com/ to set up a time for a photo session. She took some amazing pictures of my girls last fall and I plan on having her doing a session with them in the blossoms too. Visit her website for examples of her work or click HERE to see the shots she got of Cedi and Capri. ***Disclaimer: photo’s included on this post have been taken by me, an amateur photographer…***

Capri and Cedi in the 2009 Apple Blossoms

Check out the blog I did during last year’s apple blossom days: http://lapaceksorchard.blogspot.com/2010/05/apple-blossom-days.html

Stay tuned for more details to come!

To read about/RSVP (this is not required – just fun for me to see who I get to catch up with) out the event on Facebook go here: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=162439580481367 and spread the word!

AND if you want to ‘like’ Lapacek’s Orchard on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LapaceksOrchard

We got up early this morning and headed right over to the 2011 Maple Syrup Festival at the MacKenzie Center in Poynette.  It is $7 for adults and $5 for kids 4 and up to eat a yummy breakfast consisting of scrambled eggs, ham, and of course – pancakes!  This was actually our first time making it to the event but I hope to make it a family tradition.  My girls LOVE the MacKenzie Center and anything I can do to help support it or the programs it runs is great in my book. Cedi really enjoyed her meal – she cleaned up both of her pancakes and a good portion of her ham and eggs. Capri – my child who doesn’t always eat much – scarfed down at least 2 pancakes – papa had to keep filling her plate!     As you can see many others were enjoying their meal as well.  By the time we finished up a decent line had formed and I’m sure it will be another successful event for the Center.  If you have time – the breakfast runs until noon today so head down for a little mid-morning snack.  Otherwise – this festival is the first Saturday in April every year so be sure not to miss it next year!

Once we were done with breakfast we decided to go and check out the sugar bush demonstrations.  The first station when we got the sugar bush area was how to make maple syrup at your own home. Not a difficult thing to do but it takes time and patience.  The next stop was how the pioneers made it using big iron kettles. The lady demonstrating this let Cedi try on the yoke the kids would use to carry buckets of the tree sap (sans the actual buckets of course)  Next stop was how the American Indians made it way back when – they typically made sugar though – not syrup.  It was done in a hollowed out log using fire heated rocks to boil the water.  Now this would have taken some effort!

After we walked around this we decided to head home as it had gotten a bit colder.  There was still lots more to do but we’ll wait until next year to experience some of that.

Here’s what the brochure advertised:

Guided tours of the sugar bush.  Demonstrations of how to tap a maple tree for sap and how to make maple syrup.  Interpretive talks about how American Indians and pioneers made syrup.  Live, old-time country music.  Horse-drawn wagon rides.  Home-made ice cream churned with an antique engine.  Refreshments, maple products, souvenirs sold by the Friends of MacKenzie.

The festival goes on until 2 so if you’re not in the mood for the delicious pancake breakfast you can still head over and learn something about maple syrup.

Other events at the MacKenzie Environmental Center for 2011:

• Spring Clean Up Day: April 30th; 9am – 2pm
• Outdoor Skills Day: July 9th; 9am – 2pm
• Hootenany: October 1st; 6:30pm – 9:30pm
• Fundraising Banquet: October 8th, 2011 – advance sales only
• Haunted Hay Ride: Fri, October 21st, and Sat, October 22nd; 6:30-9:30pm