MORE THAN DELICIOUS ORCHARD

 

MIKE & VELMA DOWNES

9905 Thompson Road

Woodstock, IL  60098

(815) 338-2309

Click here for the standard schedule, but always check the website for the weekly update which will list the apples available for the weekend.

Click here for some articles on the health benefits of apples and pears! (Last addition, Sept. 17, 2007)

Update for the weekend of October 18 & 19
 

After a busy Columbus Day weekend, picking at our orchard has come to a close for this year. We will spend the rest of this week harvesting apples that were either too high to reach or too well hidden to be found. These harvested apples will be available this coming weekend, October 18-19, in our sales room from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Please stop by for one last visit to buy some wonderful late fall apples.

Again we want to thank those who visited our website, as well as having visited our orchard this season. We wish you a wonderful holiday season, and hope to see you again next fall during apple-picking time.

If you liked our orchard and our website, bookmark this site on your favorites so you can find us again next year.

Update for the weekend of October 11, 12, & 13 (Columbus Day)

Every week in the orchard brings on new varieties. Last week we started picking Golden Delicious, but this coming weekend they will be in their prime—golden yellow with a pink blush. Many of the fall apples that you think of as “good keepers” will be ready: Northern Spy, Winesap, and Newtown Pippin. Many of the varieties that we have been picking for the last couple weeks still have many apples in the trees. You may just have to do a little extra searching to find that big beautiful apple. We expect with the coming three-day weekend of picking that the orchard will be basically picked out by Monday evening, so this will be our last weekend for picking.

Please check the website updates next week for the 18th and 19th as we will still have great apples for sale in our sales room. If you want to make applesauce, we can help you put together a combination of varieties that will make a great sauce, plus there will be half-price windfalls available that are an economical way to make wonderful applesauce.

Please remember that only the trees that have ribbons on them are ready for picking.  Many apples look great, but they won't be ripe until later in the season.  Thank you for your cooperation!

Cash or checks only, please.  No credit cards accepted.

 

Update for the weekend of October 4-5

We just completed a walk through the orchard from top to bottom. It looks like we still have plenty of apples for this coming weekend. Depending on the crowd, on Sunday afternoon you may have to look a little harder. Connell Red, one of our favorite apples in the orchard, is still very plentiful, as are Cortland, Empire, and Golden Delicious. If you look around you will probably find a half dozen other varieties that are ready to pick. Lots of good McIntosh are available for purchase in our sales room.

A reminder that this year we have eliminated our wagons, so if you have young children you may wish to bring a stroller or a small wagon to take into the orchard.

We will update you again next Wednesday for conditions the following weekend.

Please remember that only the trees that have ribbons on them are ready for picking.  Many apples look great, but they won't be ripe until later in the season.  Thank you for your cooperation!

Cash or checks only, please.  No credit cards accepted.

 

 

Update for the weekend of September 27-28

First, let us tell you that the HoneyCrisp apples this year were good, but are now completely sold out. We had many fine HoneyCrisp in our sales room but the last of them was sold on Sunday.

Fortunately, there are thousands of good varieties of apples, and many of them will be ripe this coming weekend. We still have many Cortland and Jonathan in the orchard, and some Gala and Lustre Elstar. This weekend we are adding Golden Delicious, Snow Apple, Empire, and our favorite, Connell Red.  Because of the rains and warm weather, Thompkin County King, Blue Permain, and Ashmead's Kernal are also ready to pick.  Lots of apples are falling, so we have many nice windfalls available for half price.

Don’t forget to stop in our sales room for some of our pears, honey, and fresh-baked apple cinnamon bread.

As you prepare to come picking in the orchard, please check the helpful hints page on this website regarding insects and proper attire.  We don not have wagons available this year, so if you have young children you may want to bring a small wagon or stroller.

Please remember that only the trees that have ribbons on them are ready for picking.  Many apples look great, but they won't be ripe until later in the season.  Thank you for your cooperation!

Cash or checks only, please.  No credit cards accepted.

 

Update for the weekend of September 20 & 21:

This is the last time I’m going to wish for rain! August was unusually dry, but we made up for the whole month last weekend. It was our opening day, and as you would expect, very few people braved the soggy weather.

That leaves this weekend with plenty of McIntosh, Cortland, Jonathan, and a fair supply of Lustre Elstar, Sweet Sixteen, and Gala. The HoneyCrisp apples have been pre-picked and will be available in our sales room for as long as they last.

Also in the sales room this weekend we will have award-winning honey, fresh-baked apple-cinnamon bread using our own apples, and a wonderful assortment of pears.

Please remember that only the trees that have ribbons on them are ready for picking.  Many apples look great, but they won't be ripe until later in the season.  Thank you for your cooperation!

Cash or checks only, please.  No credit cards accepted.

 

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