Pick-Your-Own Apple Season Has Started

   Our pick-your-own apple season started on Sept. 22, the first official day of fall, and runs until about Nov. 12.  This is also our main apple season, when we have many harvested apples for sale.

Some 'Enterprise' apples are ripe now, and more will ripen over the next 6 weeks.

   Some 'Enterprise' apples, our main pick-your-own apple variety, are ripe now, and more will ripen over the next 6 weeks.  We also have a few 'Sundance' apples available pick-your-own.  'GoldRush' apples will ripen from mid-Oct. to mid-Nov.
   All 3 of these apple varieties originated from a cooperative apple breeding program between Univ. of Illinois, Purdue Univ. and Rutgers Univ. that began in 1945.  We also have one tree of another selection from this cooperative apple breeding program, Coop 27, which is not yet named.
   All our apple varieties are immune to apple scab disease, so we don't have to spray for that disease, so we can put on 1/3 fewer fungicide sprays than if we grew scab-susceptible apple varieties such as 'Jonathan' or 'Golden Delicious'.  I give taste samples of all our apple varieties available at the time.
   We're still harvesting some 'Harrowsweet' European pears, and we have 22 20-pound boxes for sale now.  This pear variety lives up to its name: it's very sweet.  We should have 'Harrowsweet' for sale until early Oct.  We also still have many 'Luscious' European pears in our cooler, ready to sell, for the next 2 weeks or so.
   I finished harvesting 'Shinko' Asian pears 2 weeks ago, and we have ten 20-pound boxes for sale now, until we sell out.  Asian pears are shaped like apples, stay crisp like apples, and are very juicy and sweet.  They're mostly for fresh eating, though some customers make Asian pears preserves.
   I give taste samples.  Many who didn't like pears, before tasting ours, love these varieties.
   Small amounts of harvested pears and apples cost $1.20 per pound + tax.  A 20-lb. box of pears or apples costs $23.15 + tax, which saves $1.00 off the per-pound price.  I harvest pears and apples into two plastic bags per box, so you can get a mixed box of one bag of pears and one bag of apples, and still get the 20-lb. discount.
   We also usually have some harvested 2nds apples, with small cracks or hail damage, great for baking or for making applesauce or apple butter.  Usually 90% to 98% of the fruit is still usable, but they're 62% to 69% the cost at $0.83 per pound + tax for less than 20 pounds, $0.79 per pound + tax for 20 pounds, and $0.74 per pound + tax for 40 pounds of harvested 2nds apples. 

The Wright family and friends from Joplin had fun picking their own 'Enterprise' apples last Sat. morning.

    Smaller amounts of pick-your-own apples are $0.93 per pound + tax for #1's and $0.69 per pound + tax for #2's (2nds).  For 40 lbs. or more total of #1 and #2 pick-your-own apples, the price goes down to $0.88 per pound + tax for #1's and $0.65 per pound + tax for #2's.  Weekdays are good uncrowded times to pick apples, for those who are able to come then.
   We're now open our fall hours, from Sept. 1 to Nov. 30: open 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Mon.-Sat., and Sundays 1:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.  I'm usually out harvesting pears or apples, so I put a sign on the sales building post to ring the bell for service.  Ring it loudly, once or twice, and I'll hear it and come to the sales building.
   Please remember, since there is no phone line to the sales building, we do not have a card reader.  So we can NOT accept credit cards or debit cards for payment.  We accept cash and checks from any state, so please bring your checkbook or enough cash to cover the amount of food you want to buy.  Thanks.