Know your farmer!

Buying from a small local farm helps you connect with your food and the farmer growing it. 


We sell all our apples straight from our farm to consumers either through our Pick-Your-Own or at our farm store, so we have lots of conversations with our customers about how our crop is doing and how we care for the orchard and our apples. 

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About our orchard

Our main orchard on 5 acres is made up of 1100 mature trees and 200 young trees we planted to replace ones that are no longer healthy and productive.  Our trees are semi-standard, semi-dwarf and dwarf types that grow 5 to 15 feet tall. We prune them annually to maintain their structure, health and productivity, paying special attention to encourage apples within easy reach for pick-your-own visitors of all ages including kids.  Larger commercial apple orchards have moved to densely-planted spindle trees grown along trellis and wires for maximum efficiency and production.  We have stayed with traditional free-standing trees to provide a more traditional orchard setting and fun pick-your-own experience. 

In 2009, we purchased more farmland to increase our capacity. After improving the land with drainage, clearing and tillage, we started planting young trees and our new orchard is now up to 900 trees, some of which are now starting to produce apples.

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Do you spray? Are you organic? 

...Sounds like the same question, right?? Wrong!!  In fact, organic and conventional farming practices are converging to maximize food production and social good while minimizing negative impacts to the environment and the consumer.  Read on to learn more... 

A lot has changed...

In response to concerns about environmental impacts and concerns about pesticide use, conventional farming methods have changed a lot over the past 20 to 30 years.  An example of this is Integrated Pest Management (IPM). Like organic farming, IPM strives to work with natural controls as much as possible, using pesticides only when other control methods aren't effective. Although many consumers believe that organically-grown produce has not been sprayed, the real difference is that organic growers use only naturally-derived pesticides and chemicals while conventional farming includes synthetic products. With IPM adoption many conventional farmers are using less pesticide and a 2008 survey conducted by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture found that pesticide application dropped by 45 percent since 1983.

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Our approach to sustainable farming

We use a blend of organic and conventional methods:

• A minimal spray program using Integrated Pest Management (IPM) as recommended by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture
• Combining organic and synthetic products, selecting those with lowest impact to the environment and beneficial insects
• Managing our orchard to proactively minimize and mitigate pest and disease issues, eg: pruning, mowing, thinning
• Monitor pest levels using special insect traps and lures for determining when and how to use control methods
• Mowing the grass under the trees to avoid the use of herbicides in the Pick-Your-Own area and provide food for bees and beneficial insects
• When planting replacement trees, choosing varieties that are more disease resistant (eg, MacFree, Liberty, Priscilla) to reduce the need for spraying
• Enhancing our farm's beneficial management practices, including several projects via the Canada-Ontario Environmental Farm Plan like planting spruce trees as shelterbelt, constructing two farm ponds for water management and irrigation, and investing in low-drift spray towers to help protect the environment
• Farm-scaping to encourage natural habitat for wildlife and biodiversity, eg: Milkweed for monarch butterflies, clover for bees, ponds and wetlands for birds, frogs and insects

Come see for yourself!

Over the years, we have welcomed thousands of families, couples and groups visiting our farm from the Kingston area as well as Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal. 

We work hard to provide a well-maintained orchard, quality fruit and a hands-on apple-picking experience that provides fun and learning for all.   

Our Pick-Your-Own starts early September and runs until about middle of October (while there are still enough apples on the trees!)

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Visit us!