Best Apple Orchards in New England

For “Past and Present” (season 2, episode 8), Weekends with Yankee visited Scott Farm Orchard in Dummerston, Vermont, where more than one hundred kinds of apples, including many heirloom varieties, are grown. Here, Weekends with Yankee co-host and apple-expert Amy Traverso shares a list of the best apple orchards in New England. Late summer and early autumn is a magical time of year for many reasons, but one of our favorite traditions is the annual trek into the orchard to gather up as many apples as we can carry. Looking for a few good places to pick? Amy Traverso, Weekends with Yankee co-host and author of the award-winning The Apple Lover’s Cookbook, shares her list of top orchards for the best apple picking in New England.

First, a caveat: there are hundreds of wonderful orchards in every corner of New England offering not just fresh fruit but everything from cider donuts to hay rides to pumpkins. But as a lover of apple history and diversity, Amy frequents the following spots for the sheer variety of apples on offer—more than 100 different cultivars in come cases. “In the early 1900s, the USDA surveyed apple growers around the country and counted about 14,000 different varieties in production,” she says. “Since then, that number has shrunk dramatically. But these orchards keep this history alive in every sense.” The apple harvest runs through early November, so don’t miss your chance to seize the season.

BEST APPLE ORCHARDS IN NEW ENGLAND

BEST NEW HAMPSHIRE APPLE ORCHARDS

Alyson’s Orchard | Walpole, NH

The view from Alyson’s hilltop orchards is a close second to the one at Gould Hill Farm, with long views to the west toward Vermont. The orchard is run by Homer Dunn, a true-blue New Englander who takes tremendous pleasure and pride in his fruit. He grows all the regular favorites but has a soft spot for rare heirlooms like Ashmead’s Kernel, Hudson’s Golden Gem, Belle de Boskoop, Reine des Reinettes, and Esopus Spitzenburg. The orchard (which also grows peaches, plums, nectarines, and berries) spreads over 450 acres and there’s a seasonal farm stand, plus family-friendly entertainment on weekends. One visit and you’ll see why it’s one of our favorite apple orchards in NH. 57 Alyson’s Lane, Walpole, NH. 800-856-0549; alysonsorchard.com

Gould Hill Farm | Contoocook, NH

Is this the most beautiful orchard setting in New England? We certainly haven’t seen another one that matches its 75-mile view, which can spread as far as the White Mountains, making it a natural fit for our list of the best apple orchards in New England. It’s worth coming back just for that. You can also make a project of tasting the seventy-plus apple varieties that Tim and Amy Bassett now grow. One variety particular is worth noting: Hampshire, a tree that sprang up from seed on this very farm and, with its abundant juice and rich flavor, makes a great pie. There’s also live music, a pumpkin patch, a farm store with cider donuts, and a charming little nature museum. 656 Gould Hill Rd, Contoocook NH. 603-746-3811; gouldhillfarm.com

Poverty Lane Orchards | Lebanon, NH

Steve Wood and Louisa Spencer operate two businesses on this beautiful hilltop farm overlooking the Connecticut River Valley: Poverty Lane Orchards, where they grow dozens of antique and unusual apple varieties, and Farnum Hill Ciders, where they make complex ciders from the aforementioned apples. Both are worth exploring for their nuance and quality, whether in the pick-your-own orchards or in the farm stand/tasting room. 98 Poverty Ln., Lebanon, NH. 603-448-1511; povertylaneorchards.com

BEST VERMONT APPLE ORCHARDS

Champlain Orchards – Shoreham, VT

This family owned farm overlooking Lake Champlain is one of the oldest continuously operating orchards in Vermont. Bill Suhr and Andrea Scott grow more than 100 varieties of apples, along with berries and stone fruits, and do so using Integrated Pest Management techniques that minimize the use of pesticides (eight acres are also certified organic). You can stop by the farm’s market, where you’ll find a range of Vermont-grown-and-made products, or pick your own. Can’t make it to Shoreham? You can also enjoy Champlain’s apple and cider tastings at festivals and farmers markets around the state. An added bonus: their website offers a wonderfully comprehensive guide to each variety, organized by best uses. 3597 VT Rt 74 West, Shoreham, VT. 802-897-2777, champlainorchards.com

Scott Farm | Dummerston, VT

This 626 acre property, owned by the non-profit Landmark Trust USA, produces 120 varieties of “ecologically grown,” low-spray heirloom and unusual apples, such as Roxbury Russet, Belle de Boskoop, Winter Banana, and Hidden Rose. It also served as the primary location for the filming of the movie Cider House Rules. There are classes on pruning and grafting, apple pie baking, hard cider making. And you can rent any of several historic structures on the property for a weekend getaway­—including Rudyard Kipling’s estate, Naulakha, where he wrote “The Jungle Book.” 707 Kipling Road, Dummerston VT. 802-254-6868; scottfarmvermont.com

BEST MAINE APPLE ORCHARDS

Cayford Orchards | Skowhegan, ME

Six generations, 18 acres, 1200 trees, 57 varieties. These numbers form the broad outline of the Cayford operation, but for Jason and Heather Davis, now in their third decade of running the farm, this work is rooted in a passion for preserving their family’s heritage as well as that of the apple itself. Unlike some of our favorite farms, which more recently swapped out rows of Red Delicious and McIntosh for heirlooms, the Davises found many surviving antique trees on the property when they set out to revive it in the early 1990s. So they tended to those and added a few more and soon had customers young and old asking for the old apples in addition to Cortlands and Honeycrisp. 99 Hilton Hill Road, Skowhegan, ME. 207-474-5200; cayfordorchards.com

Super Chilly Farm | Palermo, ME

This is not your typical pick-your-own orchard, but it’s well worth a mention on a list of the best apple orchards in New England and, for passionate enthusiasts, maybe even a visit during the off-season. Why? Because it belongs to John Bunker, the self-described “fruit explorer” who has devoted four decades of his life to tracking down rare and unusual apple varieties and preserving and propagating them all over the state, including here at his own farm. His orchards are a living catalog of global apple varieties, and Mainers have come to savor these fruits through the “Out on a Limb” heirloom apple CSA he operates each fall, with multiple pick-up locations from Portland to Mt. Desert. outonalimbapples.com

BEST MASSACHUSETTS APPLE ORCHARDS

Red Apple Farm | Phillipston, MA

Red Apple Farm, run by fourth-generation farmer Al Rose, offers the full gamut of apple orchard attractions (a farm stand, weekend barbecues, hay rides, cider donuts and fudge, farm animals to pet) while also operating an diverse horticultural program with more than fifty apple varieties, from Arkansas Black to Roxbury Russet. Right by the entrance, you’ll find an apple tree that has been grafted with nearly all fifty of the farm’s varieties sprouting off a single trunk—a spectacular sight that alone is worth the trip, and easily makes Red Apple Farm one of our favorite apple orchards in Massachusetts. 455 Highland Ave, Phillipston, MA. redapplefarm.com

Clarkdale Fruit Farms | Deerfield, MA

Tom and Ben Clark, the father-son team behind Clarkdale farm, are two of the most personable growers you’d ever hope to meet. But that is just one of the charms of this hilly parcel located just off the Mohawk Trail. True apple aficionados, the Clarks replant about five percent of their orchard every year, adding 19th century heirlooms, along with popular modern cultivars like Honeycrisp and Suncrisp, to their collection. Currently, they offer about 60 different apple varieties, but that number grows each year. At the farm’s rustic store, you’re invited to taste unfamiliar cultivars and ask about their best uses (the pick-your-own operation is limited to McIntosh trees). And don’t forget to pick up a gallon of Clarkdale’s excellent pear and apple ciders. 303 Upper Rd., Deerfield, MA. 413-772-6797; clarkdalefruitfarms.com

Nashoba Valley Winery | Bolton, MA

Set in a historic region for fruit production in New England, this beautiful winery/restaurant/wedding destination is also home to acres of pick-your-own Cortland, McIntosh, and Roxbury Russet trees, as well as a spectacular antique apple orchard stocked with rare finds like Pink Pearl, Ashmead’s Kernel, and Esopus Spitzenburg—nearly 100 in all. You do need to make an appointment to pick from the antique orchard, but all it takes is a phone call. Tack a wine tasting and dinner at J’s Restaurant onto your day and you have the makings of a harvest festival. 100 Wattaquadock Hill Road, Bolton, MA. 978-779-5521; nashobawinery.com

BEST CONNECTICUT APPLE ORCHARDS

18th-Century Purity Farms at the Hall Homestead | Plainfield, CT

Paul and Jo-Ann Desrochers grow vegetables, peaches, plums, and nectarines, but they have a special love of heirloom apples—nearly 90 varieties, all grown without pesticides. You’ll find ‘Westfield Seek-No-Further’ (a Massachusetts native), ‘Newtown Pippin’, and the wondrous ‘Hidden Rose’, whose bland green-brown skin gives way to bright fuchsia flesh that tastes of raspberries. Open Saturday afternoons in the fall. 156 Plainfield Pike Road, Plainfield, CT. 860-564-2154;facebook.com/pages/18th-Century-Purity-Farms

Maple Bank Farm | Roxbury, CT

Antique apples are the focus of Howard and Cathleen Bronson’s farm operation, though you’ll also find popular newcomers like Honeycrisp, Fuji, and Gala. But why settle for the familiar when you can try Gravenstein, Seek-No-Further and Sheepnose? There are thirty-four varieties in all, some dating as far back as the 1700s, which also happens to be when Jonathon Hurlbut founded the farm on a land grant from King George II. You’ll also find corn, zinnias, and other produce, not to mention fields of grazing sheep, but the Bronson’s commitment to preserving heritage apples makes it a favorite. The farm doesn’t allow customers to pick their own apples (though summer visitors can pick blueberries), but the charming farm store is a lovely place to shop. 57 Church St, Roxbury, CT. 860-354-7038; facebook.com/Maple-Bank-Farm

BEST RHODE ISLAND APPLE ORCHARDS

Rocky Brook Orchard | Middletown, RI

Greg and Katy Ostheimer grow more than eighty varieties of apple on Aquidneck Island. Among the dozens of cultivars available at this pick-your-own farm (open weekends only) is Rhode Island Greening, Little Rhody’s own namesake apple, which was first discovered near Newport (not far from Rocky Brook) in the mid-1600s. Terrific in pies, it has a tart-sweet, lemony flavor and, true to its name, bright green skin. 997 Wapping Rd, Middletown, RI. rockybrookorchard.com