Favorite Apple Orchard?

[Simplicity]

Hello,

I'm looking forward to bringing my kids to the Apple Orchard this year. So, It got me thinking.. What is your favorite orchard or farm to bring your kids to?

Curious to know! Lisa :

[mtullius]

We always go to Afton Apple for apples (duh), raspberries, and sometimes strawberries. They have hayrides, a corn maze, and various other activities... And it's an easy trip from St. Paul, where we live.

[Tine]

Originally Posted by mtullius

We always go to Afton Apple for apples (duh), raspberries, and sometimes strawberries. They have hayrides, a corn maze, and various other activities... And it's an easy trip from St. Paul, where we live.

That's our favorite place too. In fact, we were headed there today...until DS started barfing and we had to postpone the trip.

[lindsayjean]

We live the Pine Tree Apple Orchard. We always go there to get our pumpkins for halloween and they have hay rides out to the pumpkin patch and you can watch their conveyer belt thingy process their apples... I grew up going to this one so maybe this is why I am partial to going with DD and DH every year now that we live back in town.

[Ophelia]

I called around quite a bit last year and had a really hard time finding any pick-your-own that did not use chemicals and pesticides on the produce. I mostly called south of the twin cities area. Do you know of any?

[boogieboo]

Per the MN Dept of Agriculture

A list of organic apple orchards. (I don't know @ pick-your-own?)
>
> Harry Hoch
> Hoch Orchard
> 32553 Forster Rd
> La Crescent, MN 55947
> 507-643-6329
> hoch1@acegroup. cc
>
> Patrick Lynch
> Breezy Hill Organic Orchard
> 3944 Iresfeld Ave. NW
> Maple Lake MN 55358
> 320-963-6554
>
> Rick Kluzak
> Wild Fruit Farms
> 34432 Teal Ave.
> Taylors Falls, MN 55084
> 651-583-3411
> sales@wild-fruits. com
>
> Gene Gregor
> Gregor's Orchard
> 16971A Snake Trail Rd
> Waseca MN 56093
> 507-835-5525
> ggregor@cpinternet. com
>
> Jacquelyn Zita
> Amador Hill Farm and Orchard - Women's Environmental Institute
> PO Box 128
> North Branch MN 55056
> 651-583-0705
> wei@...
>
> Dave and Diane Anderson
> Anderson Organic Farm
> 51359 - 310th St
> Ottertail MN 56571
> 218-385-2331
>
> Curtis Ballard
> Eagle View Organic
> 2313 Cty Rd 153
> Ogema MN 56569
> 218-983-3749
> cdballard@hotmail. com
>
> Nett Hart
> Webster Farm Organic
> 15455 - 195th Ave NE
> Foreston MN 56330
> 320-983-2289
>
> Jeremy and Kelly Lanctot
> Glacial Acres
> 17734 - 335th St
> Sunburg MN 56289
> 320-278-2002
> jeremy@glacialacres .com
>
> Dale and Betty Noordmans
> Life Design Organics
> 39041 Cty Rd 2
> Hancock MN 56244
> 320-392-5925
> organicfood30@ hotmail.com
>
> The two sources of this information on the MDA website - if you want
> to go look for other organic and local sources of food - are the
> Directory of Minnesota Organic Farmers and the Minnesota Grown
> Directory. Both can be located on the website under "Publications" on
> the first page of the website.
>
> There are also a few metro area (or close) orchards that are not
> organic but use some really great integrated pest management
> strategies to reduce pesticide use. The orchardists is these cases
> are really environment and conservation minded great folks.

[Om Girl]

awesome resource list mama!

[Ophelia]

Thanks! I think I have a website bookmarked that lists pick-your-own, I'll just cross-reference that.

[junomama]

We've been to Aamodt's Apple Farm near Stillwater. It was pretty crowded, but our 2-year-old had fun there.

[Ophelia]

Found an awesome one!

Funny this got bumped up, we went to an EXCELLENT ORGANIC one today in Hastings!

http://kedemroses.com/

The owners are wonderful. We did pick-your-own raspberries, strawberries, and apples. They had baby chicks, peahens and a cat that DS got to see. The peahens weren't too thrilled with him though. They have a small store that sells free range eggs, organic produce, handmade soaps, homemade jam, organic gardening stuff and seeds, and they also sell a lot of perennials, trees, roses, etc.

I would recommend going no later than Sept for apples and strawberries (and earlier for strawberries).