I'm Red-y to go Apple Picking!

Something that I really love about this country is the various types of U-picking there is. U-pick is when you go into a farm and get to pick your own vegetables and fruits. We started exploring new options during Covid times as we were always searching for things to do. We started with apples. It was highly recommended by a lot of our community, since the talk of the best u pick farms was going on in all the shared community platforms. It was the perfect season as the fall leaves had just started drifting to the ground. We searched the place on Google maps and were glad to find it only a half hour away from our house. Getting ready, I wore my apple print top, signifying the occasion. The car ride had an energetic and exciting buzz around it, and finally, we arrived.

The farm smelt of freshly turned soil, fresh corn, and the sweet and tangy fragrant scent of apples. There were more types of apples than I ever knew could exist. All I knew was red and green apples, but laid in front of me were Gala, Fuji, my personal favorite Honey Crisp, and tons of other varieties. Another reason this farm is my personal favorite is because it has a ton of activities. There were games for the kids, classic fall décor and an exciting corn maze. Since I was only 11, I loved to trundle through the corn maze, designed so that it represented the map of Washington. One turn would lead you towards the Space needle, (A tower that looked over the entire farm), while another turn would lead you towards Pike Place Market.

Other activities consisted of rows and rows of hay bales, stacked together to form a pyramid. Climbing them to get to the top was definitely a feat, my small legs and arms working their way towards the topmost and center of the farm. Once at the top, I could see the lush green hillside, quiet but burbling river and thousands and thousands of apple trees. It felt like I was the only person in the entire world, tiny, compared to the marvelous nature and life that surrounded me. It truly was an impactful experience on my 11-year-old self, which converted me into an outdoor and hiking person. In my opinion, what really made this farm special were all the families.

There were small kids running around in their knee-high boots, shouting with glee. Families who had come together to have fun at a Sunday retreat, enjoying the roasted buttered corn, fries, freshly pressed apple cider and candy apples. The crisp autumn air was circling the fresh fallen leaves at our feet, urging us to go and start picking some apples. Once we were near the apple trees, we just couldn’t stop from getting more and more apples! I loved the crunch every time an apple parted from its tree, my first bite into it, the juice oozing down my hands. It was a day to remember, and it was just the beginning.

Ever since we went to the farm, we started U-picking other things like potatoes, peas, beans, beets, strawberries, and raspberries. Potatoes and carrots were definitely my favorite. I loved the smell of upturned soil as I dug my shovel in to dig for potatoes. Carrots showing their first orange self as I brushed away the dirt, which slowly found itself in my nails. These fun times as a family inspired my parents and I to start a little gardening at home.

At first, we planted tomatoes and beans, them having their cozy little corner in our balcony. It was magical to see them grow into tiny saplings, to produce their first flower, and then finally the fruit. I initially used it as a science project for school, but now, we’ve even expanded to peas, potatoes, and carrots. Their little vegetable bed is definitely my favorite in our backyard. It’s a completely different feeling when you get to harvest the crop you’ve spent your time, energy and love to grow. We recently made Pulao from our own grown carrots, peas and potatoes and mark my words, that reward was even appetizing. I can’t wait to try growing other crops for next year. - Navaka

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