Ontario Fruit Explorers

["Biz Storms" <biz.storms@sympatico.ca>]

Hey Tom,

I am s-l-o-w-l-y working back through my emails, and read your nafex posting 
about the black currant anti-viral properties. I had such great luck with 
your black currant suggestion, combined with cold fx, to rid myself of that 
horrible cold/flu thing last September. Here's the $64 question - do you 
know where one can purchase black currant concentrate, instead of consuming 
massive amounts of Ribena? I'm attempting to formulate a preventative kind 
of programme.

FYI - a friend from my Michigan quilt group takes cherry concentrate every 
day for arthritis. She buys a huge jug every year, north of Traverse Ciy, 
MI, when we get together end of September. She swears by it's preventative 
properties. Talk about a sweet jolt - from tart cherry concentrate. That 
area is the tart cherry capital of the northeast - massive orchards 
everywhere.

Have just spent the last handful of weekends putting the orchard to bed for 
the winter. Secured tree guards, had the guys spray the white latex / bitter 
taste paint, and Plantskydd should go on next week when we get a dry day. 
Actually got it together early in October and tied plastic ribbon onto all 
the different branches selected for scionwood. It's so much easier when you 
pre-select - so winter scionwood pruning goes really fast. Now, writing the 
variety name on the side of the selected branches with a sharpie pen would 
make it even faster - and nicer in warmer temps. ( 20-20 hindsight strikes 
again! ) This late warmer weather has also bunged things up for fall 
transplanting - since weekends have been very busy.

The warmer weather did have one good side effect - since the raspberry 
bushes produced wonderful crops of late berries. The taste this year was 
spectacular. Same with the apples.

How did the rest of you fare with other fruits - with taste and crop 
outcomes? Would love to hear how others are winding down - or advance 
prepping for next year.

Cheers, Bizmark