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MEMBER PROFILE 



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Between four and six thousand 

 perennials arrive in March: They 

 and the same nunnber of herbs are 

 potted up in Belden quarts. 

 (Those that overwinter are repotted 

 in the fall in gallon and half-gallon 

 pots.) 



Their definition of "perennial" is 

 broad — and somewhat personal: 

 their 1993 list includes five types 

 of peony (in two-gallon containers), 

 54 of clematis (one-gallon) and one 

 of rudbeckia ("Goldilocks"). 



Tina's on the Board of the New 

 Hampshire Herb Society and herbs 

 are an Apple Ridge specialty. A 

 good selection of both annuals 

 (eight types of basil, 16 scented 

 geraniums) and perennials (19 

 mints, 15 types of thyme) is of- 

 fered. Monarda (nine varieties) is 

 listed as an herb. Tina explains: 

 "Monarda as 'Bee Balm' is listed as 

 a perennial, but as 'Oswego Tea' 

 (the colonists used its leaves dur- 

 ing the boycott of British imports), 

 it's an herb. As Tina says, "Where 

 do you draw the line?" 



Ten thousand mum and aster 

 rooted cuttings arrive in May and 

 are potted up and grown outside 

 under a Chapin overhead watering 

 system. 



Fruit baskets are a big item in 

 late fall; and in December, it's 

 Christmas trees and wreaths they 

 make themselves. 



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The Two Aspects of the Apple 

 Ridge operation fit together better 

 than one might think, according to 

 Dave. Pruning is done in late win- 

 ter: bedding plant sales slow down 

 by the end of June; spraying is 

 done after twilight, after the wind 

 goes down. (Dave uses a 100-gal- 

 lon Kinkelder air blast sprayer.) 



Apples are affected by whatever 

 the season brings for weather — but 

 a 4000-bushel crop is average, and 

 these are all hand-sorted; seconds 

 and drops are used for cider. 



Back in the '80s, when the apple 

 maps went to the rest areas, tour- 



ists came looking to pick-their-own; 

 now visitors are more local — but 

 come more often, picking a few 

 pounds on two or three weekends, 

 and returning the following year. 

 Weekdays are quiet, but weekends 

 are busy and require a person su- 

 pervising the orchards. 



There's a wholesale operation as 

 well — a 7x7x14 delivery truck (with 

 a flower — as well as an apple — on 

 its side to indicate the range of 

 Apple Ridge products). "Too much 

 wholesale," Dave says; were nearly 

 75%: we need to reverse the 

 percentages." 



The New Stand may do just 

 that. The road to Apple Ridge is 

 newly tarred — and the farm is situ- 

 ated on a sharp curve where cars 

 have to slow down — but there's no 

 traffic. "And people are busier," 

 Dave says. "They won't go out of 

 their way anymore, but they will 

 stop for fresh produce if it's on 

 their route home." 



The new retail stand is right on 

 King Street, the main street of 

 Boscawen, across from the Kettle 

 and Crane bed-and-breakfast. The 

 three quarter-acre property in- 

 cludes a 175-year-old cape with 

 porch and dormers and its gam- 



brel-roofed shed. There's space to 

 park eight cars. Although smaller 

 (16x24) than the stand at the farm, 

 the shed will become the new cen- 

 ter of the retail operation. A porch 

 had been added to the front and 

 pine boards cover the inside walls. 

 Plans include selling fresh veg- 

 etables, setting up a 10x24 display 

 greenhouse and filling the lawn 

 area with potted perennials. Tina 

 plans to start a small garden be- 

 side the shed and offer customers 

 freshly cut herbs. 



The sign is up. The new stand 

 should be open by April fifteenth. 

 Some logistics need to be worked 

 out: produce will have to be 

 brought from the farm and the farm 

 will still offer pick-your-own. So 

 during apple season, the stand at 

 the farm will be open as well. But 

 that's only from Labor day through 

 mid-October: from mid-April 

 through Christmas, the Larochelles 

 plan to have the King Street stand 

 open 10-6 seven days a week. 

 There'll be ads and promotions, 

 but everyone feels the market is 

 there. There's definitely more vis- 

 ibility — and that's a good start. 

 (B.P.) ^ 



(Apple Ridge is at 151 Water Street in 

 Boscawen: the new retail stand is on 218 

 King Street; Dave. Tina, and Mifee can be 

 reached at 603-796-2654.) 



APRIL /MAY 1994 



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