Cyclopomme Page 3

That's Bud on the left and Jeff Blair on the right. The Blair Orchard was established in 1896 and brothers Jeff and James are the fourth generation to work the farm. Here Jeff shows the sticky apple decoy that is used to check the insect population in the orchard. Growers can see what insects are present and can then use controled methods to reduce the bad bugs while protecting those that are beneficial to the crop.

Bud and his new friend in Blair's Orchard

The Haut St.-Laurent region was severly affected in the ice storms in the winter of 1998. The Blair Orchard was without power for 21 days. Apple trees generally were not affected because their branches are accustomed to heavy weights when laden with fruit. Unfortunately the maples in the vicinity did not fare as well, virtually distroying parts of the maple syrup industry in the region.

Lunch Time

The language on the road was French, but upon hearing our heavy English accents riders and organizers quickly switched to English.

Lunch Time at Franklin. The land surrounding the town of Franklin was granted to the Marquis de Beauharnois in 1729 by the King of France, Louis XV. Major colonization of the area began in 1804 with the arrival of American, Irish and Franco-Canadian settlers.

The Cyclopomme organizers prearranged a picnic lunch for us. We received a gourmet's delight of treats, including fresh fruit, cheese, sandwiches, muffins and salad nibblies.

On my bib are companies who sponsor Cyclopomme. One of the sponsors is the federal member of parliament for the region, Daniel Turp. Daniel is a member of the Bloc Quebecoise.