The 2020 pick-your-own apple season has been anything but typical, and thanks to the overwhelming support from our community, our orchard is nearly picked out. Apple picking will continue until end of day Friday, October 23 with a few late season favourites like Russet, Empire, Idared and Ambrosia still available. Our market will remain open this Saturday and Sunday and visitors are welcome to purchase pre-picked apples, pumpkins, honey and other market goodies. As of Monday, October 26, the farm will be closed for the season.

Thank you to all of our guests (returning and first-timers!) who made it out to the orchard this fall. From all of us at Nature's Bounty, we wish you a safe and healthy winter and hope to see you all back here next September.

It's a time-honoured Thanksgiving tradition for so many families; a visit to a local orchard for apple picking, hot cider and soaking in the vibrant colours of autumn. Even if things are a little different than in the past, we hope to be a part of your Thanksgiving celebrations this year. 

To ensure the safety of all our guests and staff, pre-booking is required for all visits this weekend so that we can keep our guest count low and provide ample space for everyone. If you plan on visiting Nature's Bounty this Thanksgiving, please book ahead to avoid disappointment. 

We will have the largest selection of apple varieties of the season with all but a few available.

• Ambrosia: a rising star and deservingly so! Ambrosia are crisp, sweat and aromatic, and this year's crop is an exceptional one. A premium bag is required for picking.
• Honeycrisp: there are still plenty of Honeycrisp available with more rows opening daily. After Thanksgiving, Honeycrisp will finish their season and only be available pre-picked at the market. A premium bag is required for picking.
• Golden Russet: A timeless favourite, the unique colour and taste of a Russet is sure to stir up memories of visits to grandparents' and old-fashioned orchards. A premium bag is required for picking.
  
• Empire: It's distinctive deep-purple colouring, crisp flesh, and balanced sweet and tart flavour are why we love Empire! One of the best fresh eating apples of the season. Also available pre-picked at the market.
  
• Cortland: One of the best cooking apples of the season, our Cortland trees were quickly picked out, however, we have ample stock of pre-picked apples available at the market.
  
• Golden Delicious: Looking for a sweet, yellow apple? The Golden Delicious are deserving of their name this season. Bursting with sweet juices and delivering a satisfying crunch, they are best enjoyed fresh but also cellar quite well.
  
• Northern Spy: As the saying goes, "Spies for Pies!" Arguably the best baking apple of the season, this firm tart apple comes alive when baked in pies and crisps. Just in time for your Thanksgiving baking, we also have half-bushels of Spies available at the market.
  
• Salish: How often do you get to try a NEW apple? Well, now is your chance! Our recently planted row of Salish has its first full crop and they are a welcome addition. Salish have a mild sweetness and firm texture which holds up over time. Cellar this apples and enjoy for months to come!
  

Also picking this weekend, we have Spartan, Mutsu, Crimson Crisp, Gala, Red Delicious, Jonagold and Macoun available while supplies last.

The cool fall weather has really set in now and the maple trees ablaze with bright hues of orange, red and yellow. You will certainly enjoy your drive through the countryside this weekend. As our early season apples finish up, our visitors will now enjoy a wide array of choices in the orchard. Late September and early October see the maturation of nearly ten varieties, with more still to come, just in time for Thanksgiving. 

• Honeycrisp: now at their peak, Honeycrisp are still picking. This premium apple gushes with juice and has a suburb crunch. The prefect balance of sweet and just a little tart, the flavour of our Honeycrisp this year is off-the-charts delicious!
• Gala: A perennial favourite and the most widely enjoyed apple in Ontario, we still have plenty of Gala to satisfy your sweet tooth. Firm and juicy, gala are a great snacking apple and are a welcome addition to an apple crisp.
• Cortland: One of the best baking apples of the season, our Cortland supply has been quickly depleted. But fear not! We picked our own stock at their peak and have plenty of fresh, pre-picked Cortland for all of your baking needs. Available in the market.
• Salish: A novel variety and one worthy of note! This is the first year where our Salish trees have produced a full crop. An excellent storage apple, these mild-flavoured apples will stay crispy and fresh for weeks.
• Empire: the best apple for candy-apples! Their smaller size and bold flavour make this deep-red apple one of our favourites of the season.

Other varieties like Crimson Crisp, Macoun, Mutsu, Red Delicious and Golden Delicious are also available this weekend. We will begin picking Ambrosia, Golden Russet and Northern Spy very soon!

Another season of apple picking has arrived and thanks to the record-hot days we enjoyed this summer, our apples are bursting with flavour and sweetness. The timely rains we received in August have helped to crop size up. The orchard is positively tantalizing!

• Silken: A delicious, crispy, sweet apple with floral notes. These are fast becoming a customer favourite and are only available for a short time.
• Ginger Gold: This large, sweet yellow apple is now at its peak. Great crunch with lots of sweet juice, Ginger Gold are a great fresh eating apple. 
• McIntosh: If you like your Macs firm, green and a little tangy, now is the time to get your fill. By next week, they will be sweeter and not as firm. If you're craving a baking apple, these firm Macs will do the trick!
• Gala: We have an early strain of gala ripe for the picking this weekend. Firm and sweet flesh make this a great snacking apple.

Other varieties like Honeycrisp, Macoun, Blondee, Spartan and Cortland will be ready in the coming weeks. Keep an eye on the homepage or our social media for updates, and make sure to book your picking time in advance.

How will Covid-19 affect the apple season? This is a question we have been mulling over all summer long. After careful consideration, we are confident that we can offer a safe and enjoyable pick-your-own apple experience this fall. Rest assured, we have sought the advice of Public Health and other farm businesses to develop our safety policy and while some things may be different, you will find that much of what you love about visiting our farm has remained the same.

Booking and Paying in Advance: This is the most significant change we have implemented. To avoid large crowds, we are limiting the number of people allowed on the farm at one time. We are asking that all guests book their picking time in advance and pre-pay for apples. This will help reduce crowd size, limit contact between staff and guests, and facilitate contact tracing if the need arises. Our prices remain essentially the same, however, the bags are being sold empty and will not be weighed.
Time Limits in the Orchard: To ensure fair access to the farm for all of our visitors, we ask that you respect a 60 minute time limit while in the picking area and 30 minutes for other activities for a total of 90 minutes per visit. Each vehicle will be given a card with the arrival time to display on the dash and staff will monitor the parking area.
Online Shopping: Guests who are not interested in picking apples but would still like to purchase apples and other goodies are encouraged to use our online shopping feature and pick up their purchase at the farm. By pre-paying for your purchase, we simply load your order into your car and you are on your way.
Rules in the Orchard: We will have additional staff on hand to guide you to the apple varieties that are ready for picking and check to ensure that you have purchased your apple bags prior to entry. Even though apple picking is done outside, we still ask that everyone respect physical distancing, sanitize hands before entering the picking area, and wear a mask if you are comfortable doing so. If a row becomes too crowded, staff will ask guests to wait outside the row until others have finished.
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Apples: We have grown a delicious and beautiful crop of apples again this year, and still have over 20 varieties to choose from throughout the season. Please check the website to find out when your favourite variety will be available, or come with an open mind and try something new!
Activities: With some slight adjustments, we are still offering a corn maze, obstacle course, and pumpkin patch. The sheep still enjoy munching on corn husks and Lily the llama remains the guardian of the flock.
Pumpkins and Squash: Our pumpkin and squash crop is looking good and we will have many different edible and decorative types available.
Farm Shop: We have lots of new local products to offer this year, in addition to fresh baking, farm-fresh corn, preserves and fall decor. 

During the off season, we receive a surprising number of messages from our followers about when and how to manage their backyard apple trees. Some people have an old, overgrown tree on their property and aren't sure what to do to produce edible fruit. Others have tried their hands at planting new trees but don't know what to do to keep them healthy and productive. Pruning plays a big role in both of these scenarios but when to prune depends on your desired outcome.

Growing quality apples starts with proper pruning when the tree is dormant during the winter or early spring months. Prolonged freezing temperatures in the winter cause fruit trees to go into a a dormant period where energy is stored in the root system and sap stops flowing. Pruning and thinning cuts made while the tree is dormant will often promote vegetative regrowth as the tree wakes up and attempts to heal where cuts have been made. If a tree has diseased, broken or unproductive branches, winter pruning can be an effective way to replace old limbs that need to be removed. Pruning in winter should be done when average temperatures are still around freezing, but after the harshest conditions have passed. March is often the ideal time in our climate.

Pruning in the summer can also have a beneficial effect on trees and fruit quality. Fruit trees, particularly ones that have been winter pruned, will typically push out vegetative (i.e. no fruit) shoots that can excessively shade growing fruit and lower limbs, preventing colour and sugar development. A cluttered and busy tree canopy can also be a breading ground for nasty diseases that can infect fruit, or worse, the tree itself. Prune out some of these shoots in the summer to allow light and air to reach the trunk and internal parts of the tree, but avoid making large cuts and structural changes to the tree in summer. Summer cuts made about a month before harvest will heal, but are far less likely to result in undesirable regrowth.

Pruning is often considered more of an art than a science. Depending on who you ask, particular techniques or preferences can vary quite a bit. Even the experts can disagree! We rely on over 40 years of growing experience to guide our practices and get the most out of our orchard. Even still, we are constantly learning and experimenting with new techniques in an effort to improve the health and productivity of our trees.

If you are interested in learning more about how to prune and manage your own fruit trees, consider signing up for our Pruning and Tree Care Workshop, which will be held at the farm on March 21 from 10 am - 1 pm. Advanced booking is a must as spaces are limited.  Check out our event listing for more information!

After nearly two months of apple picking, our pick-your-own season is coming to an end and the final day of picking will be this Saturday, October 26. We will remain open until October 31 for pumpkins, squash, pre-picked apples and sweet cider. Swing by the orchard this Saturday for one last walk around the farm and enjoy a taste of fall in the country. We will still have Empire, Mutsu, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Fuji and Spy available to pick. Hope to see you this weekend!

As the weather cools and the seasonal colours change to vibrant reds and oranges, many apple varieties are at their peak of ripeness and flavour. Ambrosia is our top pick, with its satisfying crunch, delicious sweetness and almost tropical flavour, it's sure to become a new favouite. Others like Empire, Jonagold, and Mutsu offer more tart and complex flavours, perfect for eating fresh or baking. Of course, the long awaited Northern Spy and Golden Russet are finally ready and are ideal for the home cider maker. Northern Spy, Cortland and the last of our Honeycrisp also make great baking apples. 

We will have two more pressings of our sweet apple cider before the season winds down, so be sure to stock up. Cider freezes well so grab some extra and put it in your freezer after removing a cup or so to prevent the jug from bursting. Thaw during the holidays for an extra-special treat and enjoy cold, hot, or mulled.

Our pumpkin patch is full or beautiful carving pumpkins for Halloween or for decorating. Take a walk out to the patch and pick your perfect pumpkin or grab a ready-picked one from our market. Make sure to swing by the corn maze on your way!

Nothing completes a Thanksgiving weekend like a visit to the apple orchard. The forecast looks good and we will be open all three days (yes, that includes the holiday Monday!) with so many varieties to choose from. Come enjoy the beautiful fall colours, crisp air, and the freshest apples. For all of your fall baking, we still have plenty of Cortland, Spartan, Jonagold, Macoun, and starting this weekend, Northern Spy. For the best baked desserts, try a combination of apple types for more complex flavour and texture.