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America's Best Apple Picking Farms
Steven Gougeon
As your horse-drawn wagon bumps and rumbles through the fields of southern Vermont, you notice a dusting of frost on the grass-covered hillsides. It’s still morning at Dwight Miller Orchards, where the apple trees overlooking the pastoral Connecticut River Valley are heavy with low-hanging fruit—crimson Empires, Honeycrisps, and Macouns.
Reaching into the fragrant, scraggly branches, tugging the apples free as the sun starts to burn off the chill…could there be a more perfect autumnal ritual? Even for those of us who grew up far from the countryside, the first nip of crisp fall air and hint of color in the trees seem to awaken some primal urge to harvest. And so we head to the fields and orchards to do what comes naturally: pick apples.
Happily, the perennial lure of apple picking does more than feed our own romantic seasonal cravings—it helps sustain an important part of the apple-growing industry. According to Todd Hultquist, spokesperson for the trade organization U.S. Apple, only about five percent of the country’s 7,500 orchards offer the option of picking your own (often called PYO or U-pick). But these are mainly small family-run operations that—along with selling their produce via farmers’ markets—make the bulk of their income from agritourism. In other words, from pickers like us.
Americans’ newfound interest in all things local-food-related has been good news for growers and has, in turn, created even more varied opportunities for would-be pickers. Some PYO orchards—such as Dwight Miller and Bear Swamp Orchard in Massachusetts—have gone organic in recent years, allowing eco-conscious pickers and foodies alike to indulge in pesticide- and hormone-free apples. Other orchards, like Jones Creek Farms in Washington, Weston’s Antique Apples in Wisconsin, and Minnesota’s Deardorff Orchards, grow heirloom and specialty apple varieties not easily found in stores. (When’s the last time you spotted a Sweet Tango or Strawberry Chenango apple in your regular supermarket?)
Every PYO orchard on our list, though, has something special to recommend it—whether it’s centuries of family history in the business (like Stribling Orchard in Virginia), or breathtaking locations, like Sky Top Orchard, which straddles a panoramic peak in North Carolina, or Oregon’s Kiyokawa Family Orchards, which distracts pickers with its views of the snowcapped Mount Hood.
No matter where you end up, you’ll likely find it well worth the trip just to be able to eat an apple straight off the tree.
Comments (10)
Open / CloseYou left out Caligornia!
Not that I have experienced PYO except as a child, but looking for more options in the west where I currently reside, are there not some locations in So Cal? We have an area called Apple Valley (must be a reason for that), and I am familiar with Riley Farms in Oak Glen.
Alyson's Orchard is amazing
My daughters and I have been going to Alyson's for years. The fruit is incredible. The views are breath taking. One of the girls had their prom here last year. If you want to make incredible autumn memories, check out Alyson's Orchard.
Liberty View Farm - great apples, eggs, etc.
I'm so happy to see Liberty View Farm recognized this way! We've had at least one tree leased from the start of the program and this year have one of each variety. If you're from the area you can pick part at a time (they'll flag your tree so no one else picks from it), or you can get the whole crop at once and share - one tree yields a LOT of apples so it's great if you're a family, or want to parcel some out to friends like we usually do, or just store them. The flavor is amazing - so conce... Read More
Stribling Orchard
I agree with REDONTHEHEAD about how special Stribling Orchard is and how fortunate we are to have it in our area. My thanks to the Stribling family for keeping it open to the public and true to its roots with beautiful period outbuildings and a lovely home. I always wish I could get a tour of the house and hear all of its history.
And of course the apples are delicious, both my family and my horses gobble them up almost faster than we picked them. And the ladies that make the apple... Read More
Stribling Orchard is the Best!
We love going to Stribling Orchard for more than just the delicious apples. The family owned and operated farm is a true jem and everyone involved with its operation is wonderful to deal with and makes your feel at home. Some of our best memories have been made picking apples, picnicing on the mountain side, and shopping in their darling country store. Everyone should take the time to visit the Fall Fest coming up Columbus Day weekend. And while you are there don't forget to pick up the a... Read More
Sky Top Rocks!
We've been going to Sky Top for the past 10 years. Despite the ever growing popularity, there are still apples everywhere, each more delicious than the last. The owners are super nice and don't gouge you with the prices of the wide variety of activities and wares for sale. Tractor rides, farm animals (goats, sheep, chickens, peacocks, a turkey . . .), bamboo path, swings, slides, "how tall this fall," it is a tradition for our family. The cider is awesome, honey, jams, donuts, great. I L... Read More
The Best Apples I Have EVER Had
I discovered Liberty View Farm a few years ago after reading about the Lease-an-Apple-Tree Program in the New Paltz Times. I was so amazed by the pristine condition of the organic apples and their delicious flavor!!! For over two decades I have been eating organic produce everywhere I have lived--in NY, Arizona, and Alaska and all the travelling in between and never have I tasted such incredible apples. I was raised in the Hudson Valley. As a child our family tradition every fall was to ge... Read More
Liberty View Farm-THE BEST!
We just love Liberty View Farm. Billiam and Rene welcome everyone as if they are part of the family. The gardens and orchards are beautiful. They even set up a small petting zoo in which adults and kids can visit with the baby goats. There is no better place to be on a beautiful Fall day and if it s raining it is still fun because they have the steel barns set up with all kinds of vendors and area farmers with their healthy produce. Billiam is known as the activist farmer. He has areas ... Read More
We LOVE Liberty View Farm!
We love LVF and Farmer's Billiam and Rene. Not only do are they one of the few Certified Naturally Grown u-pick apple farms in New York, but, they really go out of their way to sustain and cultivate a sense of community. Billiam was instrumental in assisting my family 2 years ago when my nephew, his neighbor, was diagnosed with a rare, aggressive form of cancer. He offered up his farm for a benefit location and met with me daily to plan our event. He also provides local soup kitchens and ... Read More
It's ok .... but .....
I was here last season. It was ok - small, but ok. The owner and his "partner" were a bit aloof.
Nothing terrible, but there are better choices in my opinion. Even in the area. And many are truly organic certified.
Hmm, not sure why anyone would say that Liberty View isn't organic. We live in the area and in the spring the spraying from adjacent farms to Liberty is rather atrocious. By contrast Liberty only uses an organic clay compound on its apples (Cortland, and Empire) which "blind" insects to the fruit and leaves and washes off eventually in the rain. Trust me, most of the family apple orchards in the area are not organic; so much so that some efforts to sell orchard land in the past (for real esta... More
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