Fruits of the Earth
We Picked Apples and Made Pie This Fall
An apple crumb pie taken out of the oven sits on the table.
Two McIntosh apples picked from an orchard are set nearby.
By Anna Krejci
Visits to orchards are part of my tradition. As a child, I was given day excursions to
apple farms where I could pick produce.
Those places were part of my earliest introduction to agriculture and to
seeing where my food came from outside of the grocery store. I learned that apples grew on trees.
We visited Eddy Fruit Farm in Chesterland, Ohio to pick
apples this September. An apple tree from the farm is pictured.
Most recently, Corey and I picked apples this
September. We came home with McIntosh
apples, and we baked an apple crumb pie from a recipe my family uses. We divided the tasks between the two of
us. We peeled and sliced apples. We
mixed sugar and cinnamon. We cut butter into flour. We even made our own pie crust and rolled it
out on a pastry cloth.
As we worked in the kitchen, we listened to recordings of instrumental Shaker melodies that evoked thoughts of fall harvests and my relationship with nature. Ohio was home to some Shaker communities. In the 1800s, for example, Shakers lived in the area that is now Shaker Heights, hence the name. The Shakers were named as such because of their dance movement. I enjoy Shaker tunes. Listening to the music turns baking into a relaxing experience; making this apple pie was more satisfying and simpler than I had imagined. Being that the case, I know my place in the natural environment is more complicated in some ways.
Humans can upset important balances in nature. With climate change, there is too much greenhouse gas emission. I believe as a layperson, who is not a scientist, that humans can help the planet reach necessary balance again. As we cleaned up after making our pie, we collected apple peels and apple cores and put them in our compost bucket. We then empty our compost into our yard. Composting lets our food scraps break down into organic material that can enhance gardening soil. In my adulthood I learned that food waste produces methane when it breaks down in landfills where it lacks oxygen. Methane is a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change, so when we send food scraps to compost outside in our yard, we are doing better by the environment.
I love the tradition of apple picking in the fall. As the
weather turns cooler, it feels right to bake a warm dessert like apple pie. The
rewards of taking good care of the planet are obvious; the apple trees can keep
bearing fruit and people can continue living off the earth.
Resources
“Composting Guide: Reduce Organic Waste and Green Your
Yard.” Cuyahoga County Solid Waste District, 2018, https://cuyahogarecycles.org/Documents/Brochures/CompostingGuide2018_CCSWD.pdf .
Shaker Heights Public Library. 75 Years: An Informal History
of Shaker Heights, 1987, https://shakerlibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/75years-cover.pdf .
“Shaker Heights Stories, Tours, Maps, Articles, and other online resources.” Shaker Library, Retrieved 22 Sept. 2025, https://shakerlibrary.org/local-history/research/stories/ .
Eddy Fruit Farm
For information about Eddy Fruit Farm, click on the link below.
