Orchard

SHARPSBURG -- Union and Confederate troops sought cover behind trees in the orchard of the Piper Farm when the armies met almost 148 years ago during the Battle of Antietam. Battlefield Superintendent John Howard said the victorious Union troops who occupied the orchard after the engagement ate fruit from the trees and later chopped them down to use as firewood. The orchard remained bare until three years ago, when a group of nonviolent inmates from the Maryland Correctional Training Center south of Hagerstown planted 170 apple trees.

WAYNESBORO, PA. Representatives of a Wyomissing, Pa., developer assured Washington Township, Pa., officials on Friday that conditions will be closely monitored as crews move soil contaminated with arsenic and lead at an apple orchard on Old Forge Road. Carlino Development Group agreed to provide a PowerPoint presentation to the public at a 7 p.m. workshop meeting May 10. The supervisors and residents have expressed concerns about toxins spreading to the water and air as 6 inches of soil are scraped off and mounded at the site prior to construction of approximately 500 homes for the Thornhill Development.

By BRYN MICKLE / Staff Writer, Martinsburg photo: RICHARD T. MEAGHER / staff photographer MARTINSBURG, W.Va. - The drought that has strangled farms in Maryland, Pennsylvania and West Virginia could cut orchard profits by as much as 25 percent this year, according to several growers in the region. While the drought has not hit orchards as hard as it has hit farmers the losses are substantial, Smithsburg-area orchardist J.D. Rinehart said. [cont.

Documentary suggests ways to save orchards A Philadelphia filmmaker's decision to do a documentary on the problems of fruit growers in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia highlights their dilemma, but also suggests a couple of possible solutions. We recommend that anyone concerned about sprawl and the loss of open space watch for it when it airs in April. Fran McElroy, who owns Shirley Road Productions in Philadelphia, said she chose the Panhandle because she wanted a rural community to profile for her film, "Our Food, Our Future.

GIRARD, Kan. (AP) _ Joe Cizerle often asks new acquaintances if they have an apple tree in their yard. If they don't, he tells them not to bother planting one. "I've got enough apples for both of us," Cizerle said. In fact, he's got around 300 apple trees at the orchard, not to mention 25 pecan trees, five varieties of grapes and some pear trees. He was born three miles from his current home in rural Girard, the son of immigrants from Yugoslavia. "My dad was a guy who could do anything," Cizerle said.

pepperb@herald-mail.com WASHINGTON COUNTY - Feeling morning dew dampen the cuffs of his prison-issued pants and the crisp chill of an early autumn day, Michael Broadway picks through Roxbury Correctional Institution's apple orchard and has a sense of freedom. Broadway was among a handful of Maryland Correctional Training Center prerelease inmates who picked Red Delicious apples Tuesday at an orchard just outside the Roxbury Correctional Institution, a medium-security prison set off from two others on Roxbury Road off Sharpsburg Pike.

WAYNESBORO, Pa. - Washington Township, Pa., officials and representatives of Carlino Development Group of Wyomissing, Pa., are scheduled to talk today about what one resident recently called "our own, very personal 187-acre Superfund site. " Pat O'Connor was referring to the Thornhill Development in planning stages on a former apple orchard on Old Forge Road. Pesticides applied to the apples over several decades have left arsenic and lead in the soil, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Spokesman John Repetz said.

Pork and sauerkraut A pork and sauerkraut dinner will be Saturday, March 14, at the Parkhead Fellowship Hall, behind Parkhead United Methodist Church, on National Pike in Big Pool. The dinner is from 4 p.m. until sold out. The menu includes pork and sauerkraut, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, green beans, applesauce, desserts and drinks. Tickets cost $8 for adults and $4 for those 10 and younger. Proceeds benefit the Parkhead Women for Worship. Tickets will be sold at the door or in advance by calling 301-842-3202.

Pumpkins are topic at twilight meeting KEEDYSVILLE - University of Maryland College of Agriculture and Natural Resources researchers will host a pumpkin and sweet corn twilight meeting from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 23, at Western Maryland Research & Education Center, 18330 Keedysville Road. Researchers will discuss how to start a pumpkin patch and share the results of the pumpkin research project at Western Maryland Research & Education Center in Keedysville. Information about the Bt sweet corn research project also will be presented.

LEITERSBURG - John R. Martin's peach crop flourished with this season's dry weather, but one day of hail caused widespread crop destruction, he said. Martin plucked pock-marked peaches from a "seconds" basket behind his stand Saturday at the Leitersburg Peach Festival. The ice cube-sized hail that pelted his orchard on June 27 - affecting 75 percent of his crop - left vivid reminders. The hail ripped large chunks of fruit from the seed, leaving long scars and holes on peaches that are now sold at half-price for pies and other baked treats, Martin said.

The coveted West Virginia Conservation Farm of the Year Award is staying in the Eastern Panhandle. B&G Orchards Inc., at 1787 Thatcher Road in Martinsburg, was named the top farm in the Mountain State in 2012 for the business' outstanding conservation of natural resources on the 403-acre family farm, the West Virginia Conservation Partnership announced Friday. Owned and operated by Bruce Butler Sr. and his sons, Bruce Jr. and Greg, the family grows more than 75 varieties of fruits and vegetables, and raises about 115 head of cattle.

Lewis Orchards Field Manager Steven Lewis says this year has been one of the best years for the farm's pumpkin patch. “We have the nicest and one of the most abundant crops of pumpkins we've had in a long while,” he said. “We planted about three acres of pumpkins, and business has been very good with the sales of pumpkins this year.” Lewis said the season has been great in terms of the amount and the size of the pumpkins. The quality of the pumpkins is also a major reason for the season's success.

Bill Gardenhour has been growing apples all his life and said he has never seen a growing season as good as this one. The ironic thing is, it looked like it was going to be the opposite, he said last week. The warm weather in March caused apple tree buds to mature early, which can be a nerve-racking situation for growers because the tender growth is then susceptible to frost damage. There were a couple of nights in April when the temperature dropped to about 25 degrees, and Gardenhour said there was significant damage to his crop.

Violet Golden and her husband, John Robert “Bob” Golden, raised their seven children in a modest home in Hancock, near an orchard and within walking distance to downtown Hancock, since Violet never drove. Their home was a gathering place for neighborhood children, who were drawn to the home for the activities Violet encouraged. There were forts made out of apple crates and softball games played in the orchard. A sizable hill behind the house was popular for sledding in the winter, and Violet opened the basement door and invited the sledders to warm up around the basement's coal furnace while she served hot chocolate.

The Blue Goose Fruit Market and Bakery is expected to open late this summer at the site of the former Hepburn Orchards fruit market in Hancock. The Hepburn family closed the market in early 2010, and it was purchased at aucton in August by Randy and Penny Pittman. Penny Pittman said Thursday they are constructing a new building on top of the old one. She said the new market “will sell all the same things as before” including fresh fruits, nuts and baked goods. Ice cream is also being added to the product line.

First the ladder, then the scissors and then one by one, South Hagerstown players took turn clipping the net as a personal momento of their achievement on Friday. South Hagerstown withstood a solid challenge from Quince Orchard for a 54-48 victory to win the Maryland 3A West Region championship. Now the Rebels (21-3) can enjoy their laurels for a bit before refocusing for the next task: The state semifinals on Thursday at 5 p.m. against Centennial at the University of Maryland’s Comcast Center.

Statisticians from the Republic of Georgia visited a Washington County farm Thursday to see how peaches and apples are grown here. Rinehart Orchards near Smithsburg was the last stop of a United States trip for the Georgian delegation, which is learning American methodologies and procedures in agricultural statistics. The group from Georgia, a former Soviet republic, began its trip Aug. 7 in Washington, D.C., said Barbara R. Rater, the director of the Maryland field office of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service.

CLEAR SPRING - At the farm of Carlton and Steve Ernst in Clear Spring, members of the agricultural and environmental community launched the new Farm Stewardship Certification and Assessment Program and announced the farms that are now certified in the program. The program recognizes farmers who are good stewards of their natural resources and are using appropriate best management practices to protect the Chesapeake Bay. At the event spearheaded by the Maryland Association of Soil Conservation Districts, farmers Carlton and Steve Ernst and John and J.D Rinehart were recognized as the first two farms in Maryland to become certified under the new program.

SHARPSBURG -- Union and Confederate troops sought cover behind trees in the orchard of the Piper Farm when the armies met almost 148 years ago during the Battle of Antietam. Battlefield Superintendent John Howard said the victorious Union troops who occupied the orchard after the engagement ate fruit from the trees and later chopped them down to use as firewood. The orchard remained bare until three years ago, when a group of nonviolent inmates from the Maryland Correctional Training Center south of Hagerstown planted 170 apple trees.

o Read more Cheryl Weaver columns at washingtoncountyliving.com Christmas party Hilltop Christian Fellowship will hold a community children's Christmas party Friday, Dec. 4, from 6 to 9 p.m. There will be lots of fun, food, crafts and games for everyone. There will even be a visit from Santa Claus. Hilltop Christian Fellowship is at 9508 National Pike in Big Pool. For more information, call 301-842-3446. Gift wrappers The Clear Spring High School Student Council, FFA and FBLA will be manning one of the tables at Valley Mall on Black Friday to wrap gifts for shoppers from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. They work as a school to help with the Caring Hands Gift Wrap for the Red Cross.