Middlefield, Conn. – March 13, 2019 – On Thursday, March 14 (AKA 3.14), the world celebrates National Pi Day, which honors the never-ending number, 3.14159....

Regardless of how you count your Pi, Lyman Orchards suggests having a slice of PIE at the Apple Barrel Farm Market, which opens for the 2019 season this Saturday, March 16.

On Pi Day, teams from the Apple Barrel — for the third consecutive year — will deliver freshly-baked pies to the police and fire departments of Durham, Middlefield, Middletown, Meriden, and Wallingford.

According to John Lyman, Executive Vice President and eighth generation family member: “We are proud to pay tribute to the first responders in our communities by delivering pies to their stations. We can’t thank them enough for keeping our families and homes safe, but we figure our award-winning pie is a good start.” And, he adds: “There’s no better way to celebrate Pi Day than by eating pie.”

In addition to award-winning fruit pies and freshly-made baked goods, the Apple Barrel offers delicious made-to-order lunch specials, delightful Connecticut-made cheeses, local specialty foods, and Connecticut grown produce, including Lyman's Own eco-certified Apples. And on opening day, guests can enjoy some extra tasty offerings:• Complimentary tastings of new specialty products, including Centerville Pie Company’s homestyle savory pot pies, new snack mixes from Truly Good Food Snacks, Durante's delicious, local and handcrafted pasta and sauces, farmstead cheeses from Arethusa Dairy Farm, hand-crafted chocolates from Fascia Chocolates and hand-crafted dry-cured salami from CT’s Oui Charcuterie.
• Corned Beef and Cabbage specials in the Café, and Lyman’s store-made, Irish Soda Bread and leprechaun cupcakes are fresh in the bakery.
• Live Irish music with Dublin Down: Monica Hamilton McCarthy and Patrick McCarthy are multi-instrumentalists and vocalists performing traditional Irish and Celtic folk music, from 10:30-11:30am.
• Meet the creative folks from Adelbrook Barkery in Middletown and bring home a Pupcake!
• The Levi Coe Library will host storytime and crafts at 9 am.
• The Middlefield Volunteer Fire Department will bring one of its big fire trucks for guests to see up close.
• The first 100 guests receive a free, 100% recycled tote bag.

Americans love their pies. Here are a few tempting slices of information to chew on, according to the American Pie Council:

• Approximately $700 million in pies -- or approximately 186 million pies -- are sold in grocery stores each year.
• 36 million Americans declare apple pie their favorite.
• 113 million Americans say they’ve eaten pie for breakfast.
• 90 percent of Americans say that a slice of pie represents one of life’s simple pleasures.
• 6 million American men, ages 35 to 54, have eaten the last slice of pie -- and denied it.

Here’s to Pi Day, to first responders, and to the 2019 season of the Apple Barrel market.

###

About Lyman Orchards

Set on 1,100 acres in the heart of Connecticut, Lyman Orchards (est. 1741) is a year-round destination for the whole family in Middlefield. Shop at the Apple Barrel farm market, filled with fresh produce and Lyman Orchards’ award-winning "Hi Top" Apple Pie; celebrate special events and weddings at the Lyman Homestead; enjoy seasonal Pick Your Own fruits and tours of the orchard; golf on two world-class, public 18-hole courses designed by Gary Player and Robert Trent Jones, and improve your skills at the Lyman Orchards Golf Center and Apple Nine Course. For more information, call Lyman Orchards at 860-467-4209, or visit us at lymanorchards.com.