Apple picking, a bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck
Apple season is a highly anticipated time of year in our area. Kids are back in school, the days are cooler, and Vermont’s apple orchards are brimming with fresh, juicy apples, just waiting to be picked.
Donuts, cider, pies and live entertainment greeted visitors at nearby Shelburne Orchards as always this year. According to the Vermont Tree Fruit Growers, our state produces around 1,000,000 bushels of apples annually—that’s about 40 million pounds. More than 50 percent of those apples are McIntosh, but there are more than 150 varieties grown here in our state.
“Apples have always been an important part of Vermont’s agricultural economy and working landscape,” said Anson Tebbetts, Vermont’s secretary of agriculture. “We are seeing a lot of growth in the hard cider category, and of course apples play a big role in attracting tourists to the state this time of year. We appreciate all our apple growers do to create opportunity in our rural communities.”
To learn more about Vermont’s apple industry visit the Vermont Apples website.
