Season 2021 Apple and Blueberry U-Pick
With the turning of leaves, the apples begin to ripen to into their deliciousness.Our first weekend of apple picking begins Sept 18 and will last as long as the apples hang on the trees. We have honey crisp, macintosh, gala, empire, and autumn crisp currently mature. Liberty and northern spy to follow.
About Us
Vermont living at its best!
Stony Grove is a new apple and blueberry farm, nestled in Pleasant Valley just 5 miles west of Smugglers Notch. Dick and Anne, having lived in Essex Vermont since 1990, purchased the "Pratt Farm"(circa 1850), in 2015. Their hard work cultivating hundreds of apple trees and blueberry bushes over the past 5 years has created Stony Grove Apple and Blueberry U-Pick. Both Dick and Anne have a love for creativity, entertaining and community. 2019 was the first year of marketable produce and each year the plants are providing more delicious fruit. The farm stand in the barn offers picked berries and apples along with cut flowers, eggs, honey, apple cider vinegar, and other delicious treats. Dick and Anne hope people will enjoy their quintessential farmhouse property with its vast mountain views, opportunities for learning and community connection.
New in 2021
Our new farm adventure continues to grow. In addition to our seasonal U-pick space in the upper barn, we added a new roadside farm stand and offer fresh eggs on the weekends year round. A new cut flower garden is experimental but we will have roadside bouquets this summer. We had such a busy apple season, Dick thought we should add 300 apple trees and try our hand at growing lavender! We had our first crop of hascap honey berry this year but were ambushed by the birds. Netting appears to be in our future. The berries are very nutritious and flavorful. We will be offering U-Pick along with homemade items like old fashion apple butter, apple cider vinegar, jams and jellies, baked goods and more. We will have space to picnic, and our fields are open for exploration. Our minds are spinning with ideas for entertainment, learning demonstrations, guest rooms and more. So come make a day of it, relax, and bring a friend or two.
"Community and friends", that's why we grow apples and blueberries.
Our orchard is young but we were proud to have had our first pick in 2019. While some varieties are still maturing for produce we have many varieties now and on the horizon.
Apples:
Macintosh, Empire, Honey Crisp, Cortland, Crimson Crisp, Autumn Crisp, Liberty, Crimson gold, Evercrisp and Gala.
Our cider cultivars (not yet old enough for fruiting) include: Gold rush, Hewe's Virginia Crab, Wickson, Medaille d'Or, Harrison, Dabinett, Harry Masters Jersey, Chisel Jersey and Black Oxford.
We also have 1200 high bush blueberries! If that's not enough, Dick just planted a more!