Leaf Peeping and Apples: New England in the Fall

At the end of every August or early September, residents of the Northeastern states finally get a reprieve from the hot and humid months of summer, and the first night when temperatures dip low enough to justify wearing a sweater, we all start dreaming of the fall weather, and more importantly, the leaves and apples. 

For many who reside along the East Coast, the fall season represents not only the time to get the children back to school and out of the house, but also for the bountiful harvest that has been growing all summer in farms large and small across the region. There is hardly anything more American in our food culture than apple pie, and for the next few months farm stands will be enjoying some healthy competition to lure people to their orchards during various fall festivals and food events. New England also offers some of the best fall foliage viewing in the whole country.

Located a little more than an hour from New York City is one of my favorite orchards, Masker Orchards. The farmland was purchased by Ora and Rena Master in 1913 with about 200 acres of land, which Ora realized was perfectly suited for growing apples. At the end of the commercial growing season, he welcomed local residents to come pick their own apples, and thus starting the tradition “pick-it-yourself” at the farm. Maskers has changed hands since Ora’s passing in 1969, but the orchard is still hugely popular every fall. You can drive right up to the trees and fill bags with Macintosh, Cortland, Granny Smith, Empire, Red Delicious and Jonagold varieties. They are open 7 days a week through picking season in early November, and they also sell jams, apple butter, honey and of course cider and donuts: https://www.maskers.com/

Closer to home for me is another fantastic fall destination, although they are open all year, Golden Harvest Farms. Located in the quaint town of Valatie, New York, this farm has been growing some of the best apples in the region for over 60 years. Their operations have grown to include a substantial bakery, with pies, muffins, cookies and cider donuts on the menu, a distillery offering a wide variety of spirits to take home or enjoy there, and more recently a smokehouse which offers delicious slow-cooked meats and sides. This year visitors will not be able to pick your own apples as they have done extensive replanting in the orchards, however, their farmstand has all the apples bundled up by weight, in addition to a huge selection of jams and spreads, baking mixes, fall vegetables and a great assortment of pumpkins in all sizes and colors: https://www.goldenharvestfarms.com/

One fall event which seems to be a favorite amongst the children are hayrides and corn mazes. One of the largest corn mazes in my county is at Mead Orchards in Tivoli, New York. This year they have created a 9-acres corn maze in the shape of an apple tree! They also offer hayrides, and apple picking, and have an excellent farm store with amazing fall produce and baked goods and beverages. https://www.meadorchards.com/fall

There are hundreds of apple orchards dotted all over New England, and as the temperatures start to dip, the leaves are beginning to transform into the reds, yellows and orange colors that signal the end of the growing season. Weekends are bringing flocks of visitors to regional farms to take in the sights of the autumnal leaves and to fill their cars with loads of sweet, crisp apples for snacking and baking. It is a magical time of year as the light shifts in the sky and the cool weather makes us want to layer up in our fall wardrobe and enjoy our cider and donuts.