Take Your Pick
It’s time to visit the apple orchards and pumpkin patches to pick-your-own produce this beautiful Autumn season! There are a lot of reasons to get on the road to a local grower in our beautiful Commonwealth. Picking your own is environmentally friendly, good for your body, and fun!
By going directly to the place where the food is grown, you’re supporting your local growers. The apples you pick haven’t been transported hundreds or thousands of miles across the country, so not only did they not use gallons and gallons of gasoline, they taste better too!
Many local growers have organic practices, meaning they don’t use chemical fertilizers or pesticides, so they’re the water runoff is not harming the storm water — or your belly.
You might be surprised to know that Virginia is the sixth largest apple producing state in the country, with a climate and landscape offering ideal growing conditions for a wide range of apple varieties including Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Stayman, Gala, Granny Smith, Fuji, and more. Many Virginia orchards offer pick-your-own experiences, allowing visitors to pluck apples fresh off the trees and sample fresh and juicy Virginia-grown fruit and homemade treats like apple cider donuts and apple butter.
Families can enjoy many fall apple harvest festivals, and adults can sample hard apple cider at numerous Virginia cideries year-round.
And don’t forget about the pumpkins! There are many places where you can pick your own perfect pumpkin for your made-from-scratch pumpkin pie or Jack-o-lantern! Not to mention hayrides and corn mazes to be enjoyed by all ages – check out this website for pumpkins and corn mazes and Virginia’s u-pick farms to locate orchards, cideries, and apple festivals for your next adventure.
If you can keep from eating all your apples, you could stash some in the freezer for delicious memories of the day in the dead of winter when you add warmed apple slices to your pancakes or ice cream.
Virginia has a bounty of treasures that just keep on giving!