Irish Mountain Orchard Gearing Up for Harvest

The apples are growing well, and we are hopeful for a good harvest this year. The last couple of years have not been great due to the bizarre weather we had. This year the crop looks great; however, we expect the apples to be about two weeks late due to the late frost and cold weather this spring.

My dad, who owns the orchard and is our apple wizard, will begin taste testing every day soon. He waits until the apples are at the peak of their flavor before starting to pick. Often people are anxious to begin selling and don't wait until the apples are actually ready, which totally defeats the purpose! We have had a lot of customers who said, "Oh, I tried those somewhere else and didn't like them" about some variety; however, when they try ours they are surprised at the great taste.

This year we will have Zestar!, Honey Crisp, Connell Red Fireside, Fireside, and Haralson. We also expect to have pears, which have proven to be really popular. Don't wait too long, as we usually run out of pears!

Currently it looks like we will open around the middle of September, but please check our website often; I promise to post as soon as we have a firm opening date. For those of you on our email list, I will also email the opening date.

We appreciate your support and look forward to seeing you at the orchard soon!

Emily