2024 PYO season is closed — Thank you!
A huge thank you to everyone who came out to pick apples — You made this a wonderful season!
We truly enjoyed having you all and appreciate your patronage, your support of us and organic farming, and chatting with you. This season we heard about your family traditions and your favorite apples; in some cases your lifelong memories of coming to the farm and in others learning you made the trip here after hearing about us for the first time.
You brought picnics, friends, and wonderful attitudes — We thank you and hope you enjoyed as much as we did!
Apple growing practices
It is a privilege to be able to offer apple picking to the public, as producing organic apples involves extra weather-related risk and not every year is conducive to bringing a crop to harvest in sufficient quantities for you-pick.
In 2023, no apples were available due to a killing spring freeze. In other years, wet weather has encouraged high incidence of apple diseases. Read more about our story with transitioning to organic apple production. We stay resilient to these challenges with the help of our customers who choose organic fruit that is good for them and good for the environment, a diversified business model, and commercial scale “value-added” products from our apple crop through pressing fresh cider and making healthful apple cider vinegar.
Pick-your-own and the apple harvest
Pick-your-own apples FAQ
- How do I pick apples?
- Start at our farm stand for picking bags and directions. We will have you drive out to the PYO section, which can change year to year depending on where we have a good crop. Varieties are marked and picking poles provided (please pick from the ground). Lastly, we ask that you practice good orchard manners (no climbing trees or apple fights). Thanks!
- How long does the PYO apple season last?
- We usually still have picking up to Columbus Day weekend, but it varies year-to-year. We encourage calling ahead or checking our website/social channels for updates.
- Is apple picking family friendly?
- Yes! People of all ages can take pleasure picking fresh fruit straight off the tree, breathing in the fresh air, and appreciating the naturally beautiful outdoor setting of our rustic, hilltop orchard. Ours are classic New England orchards in the sense that they are a mix of standard-sized trees and dwarf genetics grafts, a patchwork that has been stewarded over generations. Some apples will be high up (picking poles provided) and many will be reachable from the ground. Again, it’s a mix and we invite you to explore and enjoy the diversity of trees, apples, and orchard views.
- What should I bring?
- A friend, an appetite, a camera, weather appropriate layers 🙂 We encourage you to bring a picnic to enjoy in the orchard. At the farm stand we have VT snacks and picnic supplies — grab a fresh sweet cider and some VT cheese for the perfect pairing!
- What should I wear apple picking?
- We recommend sturdy footwear for comfortable exploring! We mow the grass for our pick-your-own customers, but no part of the orchard is roped off — you can explore the whole orchard and some areas may have long grass! This is a working, organic orchard so mowing is our only weed control mechanism.
- Are dogs allowed in the apple orchard?
- Sorry, unfortunately dogs are not allowed in the orchard for health safety reasons.
- Do you accept credit cards?
- Sorry, at this time we only accept cash and check. We are working on credit card capabilities, thanks for your patience!
- How much does apple picking cost per person?
- PYO apple prices are $7/half peck (about 5 lbs), $13/peck, and $22/half bushel (about 20 lbs). There is no admission, or bag minimums per person.
- Are there donuts??
- We make handmade farmhouse donuts on the weekends! We love these old-fashioned treats.