March 11, is Johnny Appleseed Day!

Johnny Appleseed is a family favorite around here, This weekend we will be celebrating Johnny Appleseed day and sing his song! We usually do that a lot, it goes like this:

The Lord is good to me, and so I thank the Lord,
For Giving me the things I need the Sun, and the Rain and the Appleseed,
The Lord is good to me!

Disney makes a great cartoon about him, Pick it up if you can!

When : March 11th and/or September 26th. Why two dates?......read on

Johnny Appleseed Day honors one of America's great legends. Johnny Appleseed was a real person. John Chapman was among the American settlers who were captivated by the movement west across the continent. As Johnny Appleseed travelled west, he planted apple trees along the way, and sold trees to settlers. With every apple tree that was planted, the legend grew.

A Little About the Legend:

• John Chapman (aka Johnny Appleseed) was born on September 26, 1774.
• He was a nurseryman who started out planting trees in western New York and Pennsylvania.
• During the life of John Chapman, the "West" was places like Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois.
• John Chapman was a deeply religious person He was known to preach during his travels.
• According to legend, Johny Appleseed led a simple life and wanted little. He rarely accepted money and often donated any money he received.
• It is believed that he died on March 11, 1845, from what was referred to as the "winter plague". The actual date of his death has been disputed.

There is a lot of "legend" in stories written about Johny Appleseed. By it's definition, over the years, legends grow bigger than life. It also appears that there is some link between Johny Appleseed and very early Arbor Day celebrations.

Celebrate today with an apple rich menu. Include fresh apples for snacks, and some applesauce or apple pie for dessert. And, make plans to plant an apple tree.