Frequently Asked Questions

+ What do you spray and when?

Our early season pest and disease control program starts when the trees are just coming out of dormancy in March. We use a preventive oil and sulfur or lime-sulfur on all our fruit trees. This spray inhibits egg laying as well as smothers eggs that have been laid. The adult insects such as aphids, scale and mites are also affected to some degree. This sulfur spray is also good to control apple and pear scab and other diseases.

As the bud swells, we start our weekly monitoring of the orchard for insects and record and monitor weather conditions for any disease’s infection periods. A formulation of copper and oils is commonly used just before bloom to reduce fire blight, cankers, pseudomonas, and other diseases.

All our oils we use throughout the season are OMRI approved for Organic Certification.

For the summer insect and disease program our first option is always to allow the natural predators such as lady bugs, lace wing, birds, ear wigs and praying mantises, to do their job.

If we feel the target insect is not being controlled, then our next option is to use a “Soft” pesticide to reduce the population. A “soft” pesticide is one that will not harm the beneficial insets and many times only controls the targeted pest at its most vulnerable stages, when it is going from an egg to a nymph and while in the nymph stage.

We use pheromones, insect traps and even solar powered bug “Zappers” that targets moths at night to help us in reducing the need for harsh pesticides.

As the fruit develops and we move closer to harvest, we are much less critical of having the “perfect” appearing fruit since it is more important for us not to have any residual pesticide residue on our fruits.

+ Do we need to wash our fruit before eating?

It’s always a good idea to rinse fruit, whether it comes from right off the tree or from our fruit stand.

+ Do you ship fruit?

We do not currently offer any shipping options.

+ Which apples are best for pies, ciders and sauce?

It depends on your taste buds. We always recommend blending apples, using two or three varieties whether cooking applesauce, making cider, or baking. Depending on your taste, you may want to blend apple(s) that are sweet, tart, and tangy flavors. That’s where our fruit stand or farmer’s market can help you choose apples to your liking. While Gravensteins are the classic old-fashioned favorite, their season is short. Some wonderful choices for pies are Newtown Pippin, Elstar, Granny Smith, Jonagold, Golden Delicious, and Spitzenberg. Depending upon what is available, the staff at our fruit stand can help you pick the perfect blend of apples for your pie filling.

+ How many apples do I need for one pie?

Generally, you will need about four pounds of fruit for one pie (8 – 12 apples).

+ How many apples do I need for one pint of sauce?

A general guideline is one pound of fruit per pint of sauce.

+ Why do Gravensteins get brown or black spots?

A calcium deficiency that occurs in certain varieties of apples.

+ What is your price for apples? (bin, box, etc)

This varies depending on the variety of apple.

+ Which pears are best for canning?

Bartletts are the classic favorite for canning, but Cascades are also a great alternative as well as Bosc.

+ Which pears are best for drying?

The best pears for drying are ones that are not too ripe and juicy and that hold their shape well. Some examples are Taylor’s Gold, Concorde, Bosc and Cascade.

+ Can I make a special order to pick up at the Farmers Market?

Special requests must be received by phone or e-mail no later than the Wednesday preceding the weekend market day. A minimum order for a special request is 20 pounds and if the fruit has not been picked yet, it will depend on the availability.

+ Do you give tours?

*Due to CoVid-19, we are not allowing tours at this time. We are following CDC and state guidelines which limits large gatherings.

+ Can you accommodate group events? Is there parking for buses?

*Due to CoVid-19, we are not allowing group events at this time. We are following CDC and state guidelines which limits large gatherings.

+ Is the fruit stand wheelchair accessible?

Our Fruit Stand is wheelchair accessible and we have handicap parking right in front.

+ Are the prices different if we U-Pick?

The prices are the same, whether you buy it in the stand or U-Pick.