Why Pick Apples with Us?

Picking apples and visiting Luz del Valle is so much more about family than it is just about the apples!

Don’t get us wrong.  Our wonderful organically-grown apples are tasty fresh off the tree.  There is really nothing like selecting your own apples to take home and eat or transform into juice or pie.  The weather and soils in Pleasant Valley are ideal for producing an apple that is rich in flavor and sweetness.  Apples from a store have been off their tree for days, if not months, held in cold storage and sometimes treated with waxes and chemicals to keep them fresh and attractive.  Commercially produced apples may not be produced sustainably in a manner that protects the environment, wildlife and our planet.  When you pick your own apples, you meet your farmer.  You know what went in to producing your delicious fruit and you know that your apples were grown with care and love.  You know those apples are fresh and good for you, just as nature intended.

People ask us all the time why they cannot pick apples all year around?  Well, it is quite simple.  Even though you see apples in your store all year around, apples ripen seasonally with most apples in this hemisphere ripening in the fall.  Each variety has its own schedule, but Galas and Fujis ripen in September and October respectively.  And once they have peaked and are gone, they are gone.  Picking fresh apples really is like “making hay while the sun shines.”  Plan your fall apple harvest days with us well in advance and don’t miss out.

We make harvesting your own apples a fun and affordable family outing.  We set two hour time slots and limit the number of people in the orchard so you and your family are naturally socially distanced.  You can bring a lunch and bags or boxes and we supply the rest.  We have easy access and parking.  We have wash stations and clean porta-potties for your convenience.  There will be plenty of time to take a walking tour of the orchard and talk with Karell and Phil about their farming philosophy and methods.  We like to build long-term relationships with our customers.  Don’t forget to get on our email list to keep up with new developments and the releases of the apples each year.

Come bring your family and friends and enjoy a beautiful fall day with us.  Wonderful, delicious memories await.