Fall 2026 CSA

CSA Update, September 20, 2026

We got some much needed rain that sogged everything up for Saturday but by today, it had all soaked in like it had never rained — save for the bonfire firewood, of course. So we did the bottling projects while it was wet and now that it’s cleared up, all of the Haralson are coming in from the orchard. Yes, that’s awfully early for Haralson. Growing up, I always thought of Haralson as an October 1 apple and in recent history, we’ve begun picking it during the last week of September. Because of the rain, we’re actually a bit late picking it this year because everything — apples, corn, beans — is two weeks early.

In boxes this week you have Minnesota Mule (half share subscribers) or Cherry Rhubarb (full share subscribers). You also have the following apples:

Honeycrisp
Keepsake x MN1627 (Duchess of Oldenburg x Golden Delicious) released by the University of Minnesota in 1991. It is the crown jewel of the best apple variety breeding program in the world and is surpassed in flavor and texture only by its children, most notably the SweeTango.

Chestnut Crab
Malinda x unknown, U of M, 1948
The Chestnut Crab is unlike any crabapple you’ve ever had before. It is sweet with a dense texture and tastes like a real treat. Chestnut grew out of a seed from a Malinda apple, an apple variety that played a significant role in the U of M’s apple breeding program.

McIntosh
Canada, 1811
Yes, it’s McIntosh this week and not Paula Red, like I said in the video. By the time Sunday afternoon came around I couldn’t remember what apples went into boxes this week so I asked my daughter, who packed them up. And she misled me! McIntosh is, at least, the more classic choice for an apple and if you’re a sauce maker, a lovely sauce apple.

Maidens Blush
New Jersey, late 1700’s
aka Lady Blush, Red Cheek.
Maiden Blush was a surprise addition to the orchard because the nursery had mislabeled its stock, but we’re happy to have it here. Good for eating and a gem for drying, the flesh is fine-grained and tender. Picked slightly early, the apple has good acid. Picked fully ripe, you’ll experience less acid for a more mellow flavor. Cooks quickly into sauce. Widely grown in the southern U.S.

CSA Update, September 13, 2026

I’ve got the teens in charge of the CSA this year — including one of my own — so I helped them pack it up for the first time, gave them all of the city parking tips I could think of, and sent them off in the van with faith in the power of back-up cameras.

Yesterday was our first day open of the season and because of the seasonally-appropriate weather, we got to see lots of familiar faces. After spending the entire year in the orchard alone or with just one or two other people as we’re pruning or planting, it feels totally different to have people out there. It’s nice — I like the energy shift and call me odd, but I think the trees like having an appreciative audience too. Apple trees need to be managed to produce fruit annually and so the more energy you put into them, the more they perform; that’s why I think they appreciate the attention from all of the orchard visitors and I just imagine them preening as people admire their crop.

For this week’s apples, we have Paula Red, Honeycrisp, SweeTango, McIntosh, and St. Edmund’s Russet.

Paula Red is a Macintosh seedling discovered in Michigan in 1960, but treated like an honorary Minnesota variety since it’s hardy and widely planted here. It has lively acid and since I was a kid, has been my choice for early-season apples. Cooks up saucy like most members of the Macintosh family.

Honeycrisp was a crop of Keepsake x MN1627 (Duchess of Oldenburg x Golden Delicious) released by the University of Minnesota in 1991. It is the crown jewel of the best apple variety breeding program in the world and is surpassed in flavor and texture only by its children, most notably the SweeTango.

Speaking of SweeTango: it is a cross of Honeycrisp and Zestar! released by the University of Minnesota in 2009. As much as we love the diversity of flavors and textures in apples, SweeTango may just be the best eating apple. It is a highly flavorful apple with the texture of Honeycrisp. It makes decent hard cider too. Its patent doesn’t expire until 2028 so if you want to plant a tree of your own (and the tree is known as Minneiska), you’ll have to wait until then.

McIntosh is one of two heirloom apples in the box this week. It was discovered by John McIntosh on his farm in Canada in 1811. McIntosh and its progeny (for example, Cortland and Macoun) can be identified by a slightly squat shape, a dark red skin, a slow-to-brown white flesh, and a tart and “vinous” flavor (which means “wine-like.”) McIntosh is an excellent sauce apple since it cooks up saucy and has a fairly complex flavor.

Lastly, St. Edmunds Russet was discovered by Richard Harvey in his orchard in Bury St. Edmund’s in Suffolk, England around 1870 with no idea what its parents are. In Rowan Jacobson’s book, Apples of Uncommon Character, he describes the flavor of this apple as, “like vanilla pudding infused with pear essence. Early in the season, the richness can be masked by a blast of lemony acid but this gives way to a yellow-cake flavor.” The earliest-ripening russet. Doesn’t keep well.

Offering Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) box lets us deliver a best-of-the-orchard package of apples, cider, and cider donuts to you on a weekly or biweekly schedule during the fall. Every Sunday morning we load up the van and bring your pre-ordered box to one of the drop-off sites listed below.

You can choose a full share, which is weekly delivery for ten weeks from September 13 through November 15; or you can choose a half-share, which is every-other-weekly delivery during that same time period. If you choose a half-share, we’ll let you know if your delivery dates will be September 13, September 27, October 11, October 25, and November 8; or if they’ll be September 20, October, 4, October 18, November 1, and November 15.

You’ll be able to designate your pick-up location at check-out, and this fall’s pick-up spots include:

• Dogwood Coffee Grand

• Dogwood Coffee East Lake

• Dogwood Coffee St. Paul (University)

• Dogwood Coffee NE

• Well Nourished Farmstand, New Brighton

• France 44

• Sweetland Orchard

You can add on to your basic CSA package too (all the way at the bottom of this page) with items like apple chips, apple crisp, or more of anything that’s already in your box.

If you’d like to help me save on charges related to credit card processing, I’d be very happy if you used Venmo (sweetland-orchard) or wanted to send a check. If you use Venmo, let me know what your order is and your preferred pick-up site and I’ll get back to you with a confirmation. Questions? Get in touch via email at sweetlandorchard@gmail.com or text to 651-252-4337.