It's Apple Season! - Ziesmer Consulting

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It’s apple season in Minnesota and we Love our apples! We have plenty of apple orchards and farms where you can pick some fantastic varieties that are near the Twin Cities area.

Apple

season starts in mid-to-late August and lasts until October. Apple supply varies significantly, depending on the weather, the season, and how busy the apple orchard has been. Many farms grow several varieties, including my favorite, the delicious Honey Crisp apples, which are usually available in stores by mid-September, and the University of Minnesota’s Zestar and SweeTango varieties.

Below, I have listed my favorite orchards to visit. I have personally been to each one of these so I have first hand experience.

Afton Apple Orchard, Hastings

There are many varieties of apples to pick at Afton along with other produce such as raspberries and pumpkins. They also have a fun corn maze, a petting zoo, tractor rides, and baked goods for sale. They host an apple festival, usually during the first three weekends of October, with family-friendly entertainment and fireworks.

Apple Jack Orchards, Delano

Apple Jack is one of my favorites. They are a fun family orchard, with lots of different apples, including the University of Minnesota’s SweeTango variety. There are lots of things for children like a play area, a petting zoo, and wagon rides all week. Plus, there’s entertainment and live music on the weekends. This is a great place for field trips too!

Emma Krumbee’s Orchard and Farm, Belle Plaine

Emma Krumbee’s Orchard is one of the largest in the area. They feature many fall attractions, including a petting zoo, a maze, a restaurant, and an annual scarecrow festival. You can also take a tractor ride out to the apple orchards to pick apples, but some of the things to do have an admission charge so it is helpful to know this ahead of time.

Fireside Orchard and Gardens, Northfield

Located south of Minneapolis, Fireside Orchard grows and sells many different varieties of apples including Chestnut Crabapple, SweeTango, Honeycrisp, First Kiss, KinderKrisp, and Cortland apple varieties. They are a smaller farm but do have a pumpkin patch, a rose garden and quite the collection of vintage tractors!

Minnesota Harvest Orchard, Jordan

Minnesota Harvest is a popular place for weddings and field trips. They offer more than just apples. Some of their attractions feat a petting zoo, corn maze, pumpkin patch, play ground, pony rides and music. It is always a busy place during the fall season!

Minnetonka Orchards, Mound

My very first preschool field trip was to Minnetonka Orchards. I enjoyed it so much we went back several years in a row! There is so much to do there, they have hayrides, a playground, a huge hay pile to climb on and they do a good job of explaining the apple growing process to children. They do charge an entrance fee But I think it is worth it, if only to get the apple donuts!

Pine Tree Apple Orchard, White Bear Lake

Pine Tree Apple Orchard has pony rides, a corn maze, a pumpkin patch, and weekend entertainment for folks visiting the farm. Their homemade bakery items are scrumptious and they have fresh cider and caramel apples too!

There are so many fun things to do in the fall with children and going apple picking is just one. We spend at least one day each year going to the apple orchard. The kids love picking their own apples and going on hayrides. The big pile of hay bales many have are also a big hit with the kids. After all, who can resist climbing on bales of hay and yelling “I’m king of the mountain!” It’s every kids dream.

Check out this post for more fall fun!