- Arrive Early for U-Pick (Especially on Fall Weekends): During our peak apple season in September and October, we can get pretty busy around here! If you want the best fruit selection and want to beat the lines for our bakery and tractor wagons, we highly recommend aiming to arrive right when we open. Just remember that U-Pick availability is always subject to change based on how much ripe fruit is left on our branches and vines.
- We Provide Picking Containers: When you purchase a U-Pick ticket from us, we supply the official picking bags or containers for the day. You do not need to bring your own containers from home to collect your harvest.
- Bring a Cooler for the Ride Home: While we supply the official bags or containers for U-Pick, we highly recommend bringing a cooler to leave in your car if you have a long drive home. Mountain sun and a warm trunk can bruise or soften fresh-picked fruit quickly, so keeping your harvest cool on the road ensures it stays perfectly crisp until you get to your kitchen!
- How To Get The Best Pickin’: When you are harvesting our apples, gently roll the apple upward and give it a slight twist; if it’s ripe, it will pop right into your hand!
- We have activities year-round: While our apples are famous in autumn, our farm doesn’t shut down when winter hits. We are open all year long, and our fields produce a massive variety of seasonal crops throughout the year, including strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, vegetables, and flowers. All of these are available seasonally for U-Pick.
- Our U-Pick Events are 100% Dependent on Mother Nature: When it comes to harvesting, nature calls the shots. There are three key factors that dictate our U-Pick days:
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- Weather Conditions: If weather conditions become hazardous (such as lightning or heavy downpours), we will immediately pause U-Pick and tractor tours for everyone’s safety.
- Mother Nature Sets the Dates: While we always have a general idea of when our crops will be ready, we can never promise exact calendar dates. Fruit ripens completely at its own pace, so we always recommend checking our website before driving out to see what’s ready to pick!
- Fruit Availability: The amount of fruit available on any given day depends entirely on what is physically ripe out in the rows. If we do run out of ripe fruit in the fields, we still offer our scenic tractor tours, so you can enjoy the beautiful mountain views across the property. Don’t forget to check what fruit we have in the market, as there’s a good chance you can still pick up fresh fruit from there!
- You Take A Tractor Tour Into The U-Pick Fields: Because our 300-acre orchard is so vast, you will hop onto one of our tractor-pulled wagons to head out to the fields. The wagon tour is your gateway to the orchard, shuttling you safely and directly to the specific fruit rows we have designated for picking that day.
- Dress for the Elements (Shoes, Sunscreen & Sunglasses): Keep in mind that we are a real working farm with wide-open, unshaded mountain fields. We recommend leaving the sandals at home and wearing comfortable, closed-toe walking shoes that can handle dirt or mud. Definitely pack your sunglasses and sunscreen to protect yourself from the afternoon sun!
- Our Parking is Completely Free: You don’t have to worry about digging for cash or paying city rates just to visit us. We have several massive, dedicated gravel parking lots that cost absolutely nothing to use.
- Stock Up – Our Bakery Items Freeze Beautifully: Don’t hesitate to over-buy at the bakery counter! Our famous fried pies, apple cider donuts, and apple cinnamon bread freeze flawlessly. You can stock up your home freezer and simply pop them in the oven or air fryer later to bring that fresh-from-the-orchard warmth right back to your kitchen.
