Collegiate Times

Smithfield Plantation held an apple festival on Saturday to celebrate the new apple orchard that was recently planted on the historic site's grounds, located adjacent to the Virginia Tech campus off Duck Pond drive.

 The festival featured local farmers selling apples, live bluegrass music, apple butter making and a variety of apple products for sale.  

Sally Harris, the special events coordinator for Smithfield Plantation, said this was the first time for the apple festival, but that if the festival went well, it will probably take place again in upcoming years.

"The idea came about because we wanted something in the fall to bring the community to Smithfield," Harris said. "We were having a dedication for the apple orchard that was just planted at the plantation, so we thought it would be a great idea to have a festival to go along with it."

The apple orchard was planted last fall and was officially dedicated at the festival. The orchard contains several types of apples, all of which are heirloom apples, or apples that were grown before 1930. The trees are expected to ripen in three to five years, and more trees will be planted as time goes on.  

"We have nine trees that we planted that comprise the apple orchard," said Lori Tolliver-Jones, interim administrative director of Smithfield. "We did this orchard based on the documentation of what the Prestons, the original owners of Smithfield Plantation, grew when they lived here."

The Preston family owned Smithfield Plantation from 1774 to 1959. The plantation was then restored and opened to the public in 1964.

Tolliver-Jones said after they figured out which apples were grown by the Prestons, they went to Urban Homestead Nursery in Bristol to buy them.

Children of the American Revolution's Virginia chapter raised more than $9,000 for the orchard and presented the money at the orchard dedication. A handwritten letter by John Preston discussing the apples he grew in the 18th century was also talked about at the dedication.

At the festival, many tents were set up with local artists, bakers and shopkeepers selling their goods. Caramel apples, apple pies and muffins, and apple baking mixes were sold as well as apple home dcor products.

"I made hand-sewn pillows and hand-painted wall decorations with apple designs," said Carena Berret, a Floyd county resident who sold goods at the festival. "There are so many fun things being sold that have to do with apples."

Apple butter was being made all day, sponsored by the Ruritan Club of Christiansburg. The apple butter started being made at 6 a.m. and cooked until almost 4 p.m.

"We put the apples in a colander, then put them in the pot and cooked them. We add sugar and cinnamon red-hot candies to it and then stir," said Juliann Poff, president of Ruritan club in Christiansburg. "It must be stirred all day or it will burn."

Historic Smithfield Plantation is open for tours from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on all weekdays except Wednesdays, and 1 to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.