LEVANT (NEWS CENTER Maine) – Orchards across Maine are kicking off the fall season with Maine Apple Sunday this weekend.
More than a dozen orchards across the state are set to open their gates to visitors for apple picking, hay rides, and special events.
"This is the beginning of the best time of year to pick apples,” Matt Pellerin at Trewory Orchards in Levant said.
The Maine Pomological Society is sponsoring the statewide event for the 18th year with the aim of drawing hundreds of people to support the state's apple industry.
Although Pellerin and his team have already opened up shop at the family-owned business, he is hopeful this weekend will be an added boost.
"I think they like coming to experience the fall-ness of it all, the right temperatures, the trees changing colors,” longtime orchard employee Ann Jenkins said.
A dry summer and warm temperatures still holding on have raised concerns for experts and farmers. Pellerin said the apple crop statewide is still turning out strong.
"From my estimates, it's shaping up with fruit ripening right on schedule,” Renae Moran, an expert in tree fruit production at the University of Maine, said.
Last year Maine produced 43 million pounds of apples, according to the USDA, raking in more than $36 million.
At least 3,000 acres were harvested on 84 orchards all across the state.
"I'd say the size of the industry has been consistent for about ten years,” Moran said. “Perhaps the number of small farms is on the rise while the number of large farms is on the decline."
Small farms like Treworgy Orchards have found ways to adapt and thrive over the years, adding attractions like an ice cream stand, petting zoo, and a corn maze that has gained national attention.
"We’re turning it from a product into an experience,” Pellerin said.
He and farmers across the state are looking to sell that fall experience to people this weekend while still keep a strong state tradition alive.
“For more than 100 years people have been growing apples in Maine and this is a big part of our tradition,” Pellerin said.
Here’s a list of participating orchards:
Bailey’s Orchard, Whitefield
Boothby’s Orchard and Winery, Livermore
Hansel’s Orchard, North Yarmouth
Libby and Sons U-Picks, Limerick
Maine-ly Apples, Dixmont
McDougal Orchards, Sanford
McElwain’s Strawberry Farm, Caribou
North Star Orchard, Madison
Pietree Orchard, Sweden
Ricker Hill Orchards, Turner
Spiller Farm, Wells
Sweetser’s Apple Barrel and Orchards, Cumberland
The Apple Farm, Fairfield
Thompson’s Orchard, New Gloucester
Treworgy Orchard, Levant
Wallingford’s Fruit House, Auburn
You can find more information at maineapples.org.