The Photography of Jed Kirschbaum '67 - The Taft School

Alumni FarmersJack Lyman ’44 drives through the apple orchard on thefamily farm in Middlefield, Connecticut (pop. 4,203).When he reaches his favorite hilltop spot, he can seemost of the Lyman Orchards spread: 140 acres of fruit trees,18 acres of berries, 20 acres of pumpkins, two golf courses,the old homestead and a bakery that rolls out 1,500 applepies each week.Eight generations of the Lyman family have maintainedone of America’s oldest family farms by adapting with thetimes. In the first century, the farm was a typical self-sufficientNew England homestead. In the second, the Lymans specializedin raising hogs and sheep and growing peaches. Whena severe winter in 1917 killed the peach trees, the familysold land to survive and began planting more winter-hardyapple trees.During the Great Depression years, Lyman Orchards becamea leading apple grower in the Northeast. John LymanSr. ’14 promoted the distribution and consumption of locallygrown apples, forming the New York/New England AppleInstitute, serving as its president, and later served as vice presidentof the National Apple Institute.In the 1960s, “we had 300 head of Guernsey cattle, thenpeople woke up to the fact that high-fat wasn’t good for them,”recalls Jack.Using the Yankee ingenuity of their ancestors whoweathered lean times by manufacturing clothes wringers inthe 1850s, the Lymans sold the cows and converted the pasturelandinto greens and fairways. Famed golf course architectRobert Trent Jones Sr. designed the farm’s first 18-hole coursein 1967, and golfing legend Gary Player drew up plans for thesecond in 1994.People can spend the day, taking a horse-drawn wagonride or navigating their way through a corn maze. Manyparents today came to Lyman’s as kids, and now they bringtheir kids.The 1,100-acre farm has become a popular pick-yourowndestination from June, when the first strawberriesripen, through October, when the last pumpkin is picked.Twenty-five varieties of apples are grown at Lyman’s, andnew varieties are planted annually. Apples, apple cider, applesauce,specialty cheeses and deli items are sold at the farm’sApple Barrel store, which opened in 1972. The store buzzesb Three generation of Lymans—John ’14, Jack ’44, and his sonJohn, who now runs the farm—show off their crop at the LymanHomestead, located on land first purchased by John Lyman in1741. The building is listed on the National Registry of HistoricPlaces and was home to generations of the Lyman Family, until2000 when it was made available for hosting special events.with customers loading up fresh produce and goodies fromthe bakery, including hot-from-the-oven apple pies, which arethe fastest-growing slice of Lyman Orchards’ business.Outside, customers linger at tables on the deck of the barrel-shapedstore, which overlooks a valley with a duck pond.“The community appreciates this open space,” Jacksays overlooking the land first farmed by his namesake 264years ago.This story first appeared in American Profile magazine and isreprinted with permission.For more information, visit www.lymanorchards.com.While their famous Apple Pie recipe is “top secret,” Jack is proudto share one of his mother’s prized recipes.Edna Lyman’sScalloped Apples“A wonderful accompaniment to roasts of all kinds.A favorite at family gatherings and church suppers formore than 70 years!”—Dorothy Lyman Wallerj 6 baking apples, medium to large; peeled, cored,and quarteredj 2 1/2 cups waterj 1/2 cup sugarj 3 tbsp. butter or margarinej 1/3 cup fresh lemon juicej 1/2 cup maple syrupPreheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter 9 x 13 x 2”baking dish.Combine water, sugar and apples in saucepan. Bringto a boil; cook one minute.Place apples rounded side up, in prepared bakingdish. Pour half of the cooking liquid over apples.Dot with butter or margarine. Pour lemon juice, thenmaple syrup over all. Bake about 1 hour until applesare tender. Use remaining sugar/water cooking liquidto baste, if necessary.Taft Bulletin Spring 2007 25