Local Scene
Photo by Rowan Elleman.
Local Scene
Photo by Rowan Elleman.
When it comes to apple picking, Vermont is as good as it gets. Every year, a few weeks into fall semester, a new crispness in the air and flashes of foliage season beckon UVMers out to the orchards. There are dozens of operations dotting valleys and hillsides across the state, producing about 1 million bushels of apples each year. About 20 percent of those are picked by consumers partaking in this most quintessential Vermont experience.
With competition on the rise, many self-pick orchards offer additional family attractions like fresh cider donuts, hay rides, and live music. And, of course, the apples. Nearly 200 varieties, from the familiar McIntosh, Honeycrisp, and Cortland to the more adventurous, with names like SnowSweet, Pixie Crunch, and Winter Banana. They’re delicious eaten straight from the tree, pressed into cider, or baked into sweet treats—say, do you prefer vanilla ice cream or a nice slice of Vermont cheddar atop your apple pie?
When it comes to apple picking, Vermont is as good as it gets. Every year, a few weeks into fall semester, a new crispness in the air and flashes of foliage season beckon UVMers out to the orchards. There are dozens of operations dotting valleys and hillsides across the state, producing about 1 million bushels of apples each year. About 20 percent of those are picked by consumers partaking in this most quintessential Vermont experience.
With competition on the rise, many self-pick orchards offer additional family attractions like fresh cider donuts, hay rides, and live music. And, of course, the apples. Nearly 200 varieties, from the familiar McIntosh, Honeycrisp, and Cortland to the more adventurous, with names like SnowSweet, Pixie Crunch, and Winter Banana. They’re delicious eaten straight from the tree, pressed into cider, or baked into sweet treats—say, do you prefer vanilla ice cream or a nice slice of Vermont cheddar atop your apple pie?
"We grew up on a farm in Sudbury, bordering the town of Orwell, where commercial orchards dotted the shores of Lake Champlain. Our Mom did some stints picking apples for pay; as an adult she could climb ladders, and the picked apples were placed in a canvas bag. As children, back in the late '60's, we were allowed to work but we picked "drops,” apples on the ground that were used for cider. We were paid 10 cents per bushel (rectangular wooden boxes), and if you worked like a fiend you could pick about 15 bushels per day. If I did that for a few weekends, I had earned enough to go to the Rutland State Fair, where I would blow my money on cotton candy, candy apples, and carnival rides. I like to joke that, after all that work, I would end up sick to my stomach from the candy and rides. Times have changed; children are not allowed to pick apples for pay, so it was a unique time and experience."
Sherry Russell Williams, '78
Send us your apple picking recollections (and your favorite variety to snack on) at impact@uvm.edu.