Your guide to finding fruit and fun at the orchard
By Matt Ingersoll
mingersoll@hippopress.com
Most of southern New Hampshire continues to experience abnormally dry weather, but for local apple orchards recent rains over the past week have given the crops a much-needed boost.
Just under 48 percent of the Granite State remained under moderate or severe drought conditions, according to data from the U.S. Drought Monitor on Sept. 8 — nearly all of this has been confined to the state’s southern six counties. But a widespread 1- to 3-inch rainfall between Sept. 5 and Sept. 6 occurred at just the right time for apple growers, many of whom are in the midst of harvesting some of their most widely sought after varieties of the season.
Apple schedule
For more detailed information, visit each farm’s website to get live updates on which apples are in season.
• Late August to early September: Paula Red, McIntosh, Summermac
• September: Cortland, Empire, Gala, Golden Delicious, Macoun, Red Delicious, Snow Sweet
• October: Braeburn, Crispin, Honeycrisp, Gibson Golden, Granny Smith, Pink Lady, Mutsu
“We just needed that rain so badly, and it was just the right time for it to come, so we feel very fortunate,” said Kris Mossey of McLeod Bros. Orchards in Milford, which began its pick-your-own apple season on Aug. 27 with Paula Reds, a mildly tart early season variety. “The McIntoshes and the Cortlands will benefit from the rain and size up a little bit as we go forward.”
The McIntosh apple is known for its dark red color and very crisp flavor, making it a great apple for straight eating, while Cortlands have a firmness that makes them great for baking in pies and cakes. According to Mossey, as the season moves through the end of September and into early October, other lesser-known varieties like Mutsus and Jonagolds become available.
“We usually wrap up somewhere around Columbus Day. We never know exactly for sure,” Mossey said. “In 2020, during Covid, we were actually picked out earlier than we thought, because we just had a lot of people who wanted to get outside and pick apples.”
In Hollis, Brookdale Fruit Farm kicked off its apple picking season on Sept. 3 with five varieties — McIntosh, Gala, Zestar, Jonamac and Honeycrisp. A total of 32 varieties are grown in the farm’s pick-your-own operation, encompassing about 24 of the farm’s 200 acres of apples.
“There’s been an extreme drought for the last eight weeks, but we run a very aggressive water management program,” said Chip Hardy, the farm’s fifth-generation owner. “We have drip irrigation on all of our apple trees [where] we’ve been spoon feeding them with water and fertilizers throughout the summer, so it looks like we’re going to have a very good apple crop.”
Drip irrigation practices, he said, involve placing tubes underneath the apple tree that have emitters where water is regularly discharged to keep the soil of the tree moist.
“Apples are 80 percent moisture, so in order for them to size, they need available water,” Hardy said. “The nice thing about drip irrigation is … we can control the water, and instead of using conventional overhead irrigation, which takes around 24,000 gallons of water to irrigate an acre, we’re only using around 6,000 gallons of water and accomplishing the same goal.”
Visitors of Brookdale Fruit Farm’s pick-your-own orchard are given a map with directions to each of the available varieties, as well as suggestions for how to use them.
Despite the drought, some apple growers farther north were able to take advantage of some fast-moving thunderstorms that passed through the area in July and August. This was the case at Apple Hill Farm, on the northern end of Concord, according to co-owner Diane Souther.
“We picked up a few storms that went through … and the orchard is based on some soils that are pretty dense, so they’ve been able to sustain without added water,” Souther said. “[The recent rain] will actually make the apples size up quite a bit, because the later apples that are still hanging on still have growing time. So that will just make them a little bit more plump, [and] as they size up they ripen up a little bit more, so the flavors will come out a little bit stronger.”
![apples on branches in foreground, red buildings in background](https://hippopress.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Apples-7-McLeod-Bros.-Orchards-in-Milford-400x300.jpg)
Apple Hill Farm also started pick-your-own on Sept. 3 and will grow about 35 apple varieties during the season through about late October. Going forward, Souther said, the most ideal weather conditions for the crop will include bright sun with temperatures between 65 and 75 degrees, as well as cooler nights and the occasional rain shower.
“Going into the 40s at nighttime is fine, because that helps the tree know that fall is coming, and that actually forces the ripeness of the fruit as well,” she said.
Over at Meadow Ledge Farm in Loudon, second-generation owner Shawn Roberts said more than 60 apple varieties are grown. A portion of those are available for pick-your-own, while many others are sold inside the farm’s store. As at Apple Hill Farm, Roberts said Meadow Ledge Farm benefitted from passing thundershowers during the summer months, while they have also run irrigation practices to produce a healthy and bountiful apple crop.
“Every apple I’ve bitten into this year, the flavor has just been incredible,” he said. “Generally if you see a dry summer, the apples are actually going to be a little bit sweeter. … They might have a little less juice in them, but not enough to get worried about. So for the most part it’s going to be a heck of a good year.”
Hannah Turtle contributed to this cover story.
Apple pie
Courtesy of Brookdale Fruit Farm in Hollis
1 pastry for a 9-inch double-crust pie
½ cup unsalted butter
3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
¼ cup water
½ cup white sugar
½ cup packed brown sugar
8 apples, peeled, cored and sliced
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add water, white sugar and brown sugar, and bring to a boil. Reduce the temperature and let it simmer. Place the bottom crust in your pan and fill with apples. Cover with a latticework of crust. Gently pour the sugar-and-butter liquid over the crust, pouring slowly so that it doesn’t run off. Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees, then continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the apples are soft.
More than apples
Find corn mazes and more at orchards and farms
By Katelyn Sahagian
ksahagian@hippopress.com
In addition to fresh-pressed cider and warm, fluffy doughnuts, orchards and farms offer activities like corn mazes and other attractions to build on the lure of the fall harvest.
“We very early on figured out that the great appeal, besides picking some apples, is what else can [we] offer to give people a true New England farm experience,” said Todd Wagner, owner of Applecrest Farm Orchards in Hampton Falls.
![](https://hippopress.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Coppal-House-Farms-corn-maze-400x211.jpg)
Wagner said that while apple season is an institution at Applecrest, it’s not the only reason families have been coming for generations. In addition to apples, people have a chance to pick the final varieties of peaches and raspberries, and it’s also the start of the harvest season for pumpkins and decorative gourds. The farm offers free hayrides to the orchard locations and even features a 5-acre maze. Every weekend from Labor Day through the end of October, Applecrest Farm Orchards transforms into a harvest festival, featuring a corn roast, a live bluegrass band, tractor rides, and cornhole and other lawn games.
Riverview Farm in Plainfield takes a much quieter approach with its autumnal celebrations. Owner Paul Franklin said that it’s less in their nature to provide festivities, like live music or haunted happenings, and more to encourage visitors to spend time outdoors and as a family.
“[The season] is busy enough as it is,” Franklin said, adding that they put the emphasis on nature and enjoying the view of the Connecticut River. “We try to keep things quiet and focus on people enjoying the scenery.”
While picking apples is a huge draw for most people visiting farms, there are lots of other farms without pick-your-own offering family fun activities. Coppal House Farm in Lee doesn’t have apple orchards or any other seasonal produce, but it has won awards for its annual corn maze. This year, the animal theme for the maze is a praying mantis, assistant farm manager Hannah Bendroth said. She added that the design is almost always an animal or insect that can be found on the farm.
At Beans & Greens Farm in Gilford, there’s more than just a fun puzzle to solve — a haunted maze is featured every Friday and Saturday night throughout the season. But that isn’t where the spookiness ends, Beans & Greens Farm owner Chris Collias said. A special haunted farm event in October will have farm hands, actors and volunteers dressed up and ready to give everyone a fright.
Collias said that what matters most is that his farm is a place where everyone feels relaxed and can have some old-school New England fun.
“We want to be the place where the community meets,” he said. “Come hang out, see a beautiful setting and gardens. It’s just a great place to escape that hustle and bustle.”
Easy slow-cooker apple cider beef stew
Courtesy of Apple Hill Farm in Concord
1½ to 2 pounds lean stew beef
2 slices bacon
8 carrots, sliced thin
6 medium potatoes, sliced thin
2 apples, chopped (Cortlands or Northern Spys work well)
2 teaspoons salt
½ cup chopped onion
2 cups fresh apple cider
Cook up the two slices of bacon. Remove the bacon and pat dry with a paper towel. Reserve the bacon fat to saute the beef and chopped onion. Pat the beef dry and add to slow-cooker with remaining vegetables and apple cider. Stir to mix, cover and cook on low for eight hours. Thicken juices with a flour and cold water mixture — about 1½ to 2 tablespoons of flour and 2 tablespoons of water.
Pick Your Own
Applecrest Farm Orchards
Where: 133 Exeter Road, Hampton Falls
Hours: Daily, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Bonus activities: On weekends through the end of October, look for harvest festivals, which run Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. As of Sept. 12, pick-your-own raspberries, blueberries and peaches are also available. There’s also a 5-acre corn maze.
Visit: applecrest.com
Apple Hill Farm
Where: 580 Mountain Road, Concord
Hours: Daily, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Bonus activities: Visit the farm stand for fresh produce and local food products.
Visit: applehillfarmnh.com
Appleview Orchard
Where: 1266 Upper City Road, Pittsfield
Hours: Tuesday through Friday, noon to 8 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Bonus activities: Visit with the farm animals on site and check out the country shop, which has seasonal food products and local craft products.
Visit: applevieworchard.com
Brookdale Fruit Farm
Where: 41 Broad St., Hollis
Hours: Wednesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Bonus activities: Pick-your-own pumpkins will be available later in the season. A corn maze is open on the weekends.
Visit: brookdalefruitfarm.com
Carter Hill Orchard
Where: 73 Carter Hill Road, Concord
Hours: Daily, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Bonus activities: Visit the bakery for fresh treats like pies, cider doughnuts and whoopie pies.
Visit: carterhillapples.com
Currier Orchards
Where: 9 Peaslee Road, Merrimack
Hours: Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Bonus activities: Try their sweet cider, made fresh on site.
Visit: facebook.com/currierorchards
DeMeritt Hill Farm
Where: 20 Orchard Way, Lee
Hours: Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Bonus activities: Visit with farm animals, check out the farm market, go on a hayride, or walk recreational trails.
Visit: demeritthillfarm.com
Elwood Orchards
Where: 54 Elwood Road, Londonderry
Hours: Daily, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Bonus activities: Elwood will offer pick-your-own pumpkins and also runs a corn maze daily (with nighttime corn mazes on Fridays and Saturdays in October).
Visit: elwoodorchards.com
Gould Hill Farm
Where: 656 Gould Hill Road, Contoocook
Hours: Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Bonus activities: Visit the orchard’s onsite restaurant or the Contoocook Cider Co., which features a line of freshly produced hard ciders.
Visit: gouldhillfarm.com
Hackleboro Orchards
Where: 61 Orchard Road, Canterbury
Hours: Daily, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Bonus activities: Enjoy hayrides, seasonal food trucks and live music.
Visit: hackleboroorchard.com
Hazelton Orchards
Where: 280 Derry Road, Chester
Hours: Daily, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Bonus activities: The orchard is home to a small store onsite with fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as other local food products.
Visit: facebook.com/hazeltonorchardschesterNH
Kimball Fruit Farm
Where: Route 122, on the Hollis and Pepperell, Mass., state line
Hours: Daily, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Bonus activities: Find Kimball’s at local farmers markets and even sign up for fresh fruit and vegetable delivery.
Visit: kimball.farm
Lavoie’s Farm
Where: 172 Nartoff Road, Hollis
Hours: Daily, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Bonus activities: Look for hay rides on weekends and a corn maze open whenever the farm is open
Visit: lavoiesfarm.com
Lull Farm
Where: 65 Broad St., Hollis
Hours: Daily, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Bonus activities: The Daily Haul fish market is on site on Saturdays (pre-order at thedailyhaul.com) from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Jamaican Jerk Chicken on weekends from noon to 7 p.m., weather permitting, according to the website.
Visit: livefreeandfarm.com
Mack’s Apples
Where: 230 Mammoth Road, Londonderry
Hours: Daily, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Bonus activities: Visit the ice cream shop or the market for a variety of local treats.
Visit: macksapples.com
McLeod Bros. Orchards
Where: 735 N. River Road, Milford
Hours: Monday through Friday, 1 to 5:30 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Bonus activities: Visit the farm stand for extra fresh produce, or sign up for their CSA program.
Visit: mcleodorchards.com
Meadow Ledge Farm
Where: 612 Route 129, Loudon
Hours: Daily, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Bonus activities: Look for live music on Saturdays and Sundays in the early afternoons. Also on weekends, hot doughnuts are served until 4:30 p.m. During Columbus Day weekend, there will be games for kids.
Visit: meadowledgefarm.com
Poverty Lane Orchards
Where: 98 Poverty Lane, Lebanon
Hours: Monday, Thursday and Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Bonus activities: Hard cider and sweet cider tastings are available at the orchard, and trailer rides are held on the weekends.
Visit: povertylaneorchards.com
Riverview Farm
Where: 141 River Road, Plainfield
Hours: Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Bonus activities: Artist and illustrator Emily Zea comes up with all kinds of unique themes each year for Riverview Farm’s corn maze. The theme of this year’s 3-acre maze is Ghosts and Monsters of New England.
Visit: riverviewnh.com
Smith Orchard
Where: 184 Leavitt Road, Belmont
Hours: Daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Bonus activities: Visit the store for a variety of local food and hand-crafted items.
Visit: smithorchard.com
Stone Mountain Farm
Where: 522 Laconia Road, Belmont
Hours: Daily, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Bonus activities: Visit the farm stand for local produce and maple syrup.
Visit: stonemtnfarm.com
Sunnycrest Farm
Where: 59 High Range Road, Londonderry
Hours: Daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Bonus activities: Visit the market and bakery for sweet treats as well as a variety of local food products.
Visit: sunnycrestfarmnh.com
Washburn’s Windy Hill Orchard
Where: 66 Mason Road, Greenville
Hours: Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Bonus activities: Lose yourself in the orchard’s 5-acre corn maze or in the store for local treats, including frozen apple cider.
Visit: washburnswindyhillorchard.com
Corn Mazes
In addition to the orchards in our pick-your-own list with mazes, here are some other farms that offer live-sized puzzles. Know of a corn maze or pick-your-own opportunity not mentioned here? Let us know at listings@hippopress.com
Beans & Greens Farm
Where: 245 Intervale Road, Gilford
Hours: Daily, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The farm has both a daytime maze and a nighttime spooky maze, which will be open from Sept. 17 through Halloween.
Cost: Tickets for the maze cost $14 for adults and $10 for kids. The cost for the night maze is $22. There is also a harvest festival this year starting on Oct. 9. As of Sept. 13 ticket prices to that event have not yet been announced.
Visit: beansandgreensfarm.com
Beech Hill Farm and Ice Cream Barn
Where: 107 Beech Hill Road, Hopkinton
Hours: Daily, noon to 7 p.m. (last time to enter the maze is 30 minutes before dusk), through Oct. 31
Cost: $7 per person (free for kids ages 3 and under)
Beech Hill Farm’s 8-acre cornfield is split into two separate mazes, with several scavenger hunt activities that correspond with various themes. This year’s themes are “Ice Cream Jeopardy” and “NH Eco-Spy.”
Visit: beechhillfarm.com
Charmingfare Farm
Where: 774 High St., Candia
Hours: Saturday, Oct. 1, and Sunday, Oct. 2, and Saturday, Oct. 8, through Sunday, Oct. 10, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Cost: $22 per person and children ages 2 and younger are free.
Every year, the farm hosts a Pumpkin Festival with tractor rides, pumpkin picking, characters in costume and other activities.
Visit: visitthefarm.com
Coppal House Farm
Where: 118 N. River Road, Lee
Hours: Monday, Thursday and Friday, noon to 5 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 10 a..m. to 5 p.m. (last entrance is at 4:30 p.m.). Columbus Day hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Cost: $9 for adults, $7 for kids ages 5 to 12 and for students, seniors and active military service members, and free for kids ages 5 and under
In addition to their regular daytime corn maze, there is also a flash night maze. There’s also horse-drawn wagon rides on Saturdays and Sundays starting on Sept 17.
Visit: nhcornmaze.com
Emery Farm
Where: 147 Piscataqua Road, Durham
Hours: Daily, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Cost: $5 per person and free for kids ages 2 and under, $9 for a combination with wagon ride.
The farm features a family friendly, educational corn maze that the farm states takes approximately 20 minutes to complete. The wagon rides take visitors on a tour of the farm, around the cornfields, pumpkin patches, honeybee hives, and more.
Visit: emeryfarm.com
J&F Farms
Where: 124 Chester Road, Derry
Hours: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Cost: $8 per person
In addition to the petting farm and sweet treats at the farmstand, J&F Farms has a seasonal corn maze with different themes. Currently, there’s a fall theme to the maze and when the month changes to October, then it’ll be a Halloween maze.
Visit: jandffarmsnh.com
Sherman Farm
Where: 2679 E. Conway Road, Center Conway
Hours: Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Cost: Varies from $12 to $15 per person, depending on the day, and free for kids ages 2 and under
While the goats, play area, and ice cream are available, there is also “The Maize,” a corn maze that was designed this year with help from students at New Suncook Elementary School in Lovell, Maine. It’s due to open for the season on Sept. 24 and will welcome visitors every Saturday and Sunday through Oct. 30.
Visit: shermanfarmnh.com
Trombly Gardens
Where: 150 N. River Road, Milford
Hours: Daily, dawn to dusk
Cost: Prices vary per activity.
The corn maze is open and ready for people to enjoy. In addition to the maze, there are pick-your-own pumpkins, farm animals to feed and visit, hayrides and more.
Visit: tromblygardens.net
Featured photo: Apple Hill Farm in Concord. Courtesy photo.