'It’s been exceedingly busy': Families flocking to area apple orchards

MIDDLETOWN — With no high school or college football being played locally and Gov. Gina Raimondo asking residents to “Take it Outside,” it’s been a busy September at area apple orchards.

“It’s been good, because there’s not a whole lot of things people can do,” said Jan Eckhart, who owns Sweet Berry Farm with wife Michelle. “This is one of the things people can do outside, it’s family-oriented and very seasonal.”

Eckhart said the pick-your-own-apple crowd was bigger last weekend than it was during the same weekend a year ago. And the farm located on Mitchell’s Lane hasn’t even hit its peak of the season, which is roughly the next two weeks, Eckhart said.

Three sizes of bags are available for apple picking, starting at $15. There is also pick-your-own pumpkins and flowers. The farm is open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Visitors are asked to wear masks and keep socially distant.

Across town at Rocky Brook Orchard, Greg Ostheimer is experiencing something for the first time in his 20 years as owner — a supply shortage. He said the drought during the summertime has left the ripened apples smaller than normal. Smaller apples mean more in a bag and fewer to go around.

Add that to what he says was one of the busiest weekends in the orchard’s history last Saturday and Sunday, and Ostheimer could be forced to hit the pause button.

“It’s so frustrating,” he said. “For the first time we have perfect weather and lots of customers, but I don’t have the product because of the drought. It could be touch-and-go on how long we could stay open, and without rain on the weekend, we’re not getting a break.”

For now, the orchard is open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. An hour on each of those days is dedicated to senior customers from 9 to 10 a.m. As is the case at Sweet Berry, visitors are asked to wear masks and keep socially distant. Currently no reservations are required.

Ostheimer says some varieties that weren’t ripe last weekend should be ready by this weekend, and he has a number of late-blooming varieties that could keep the season going until the end of October — or perhaps sooner, depending on how busy it stays.

“We’ve been pretty busy, extremely busy actually,” Ostheimer said. “We’re a small orchard so it’s a little hard to handle the crowd. But our trees are spread out, and once people are up in the trees, they’re pretty happy and nobody is on top of each other.”

In Little Compton, Old Stone Orchard is also experiencing an influx of customers.

“Usually our biggest weekend is Columbus Day weekend, but I think I can safely say that [last] weekend we did just as well if not better than we do on our biggest days,” said employee Sonia Payer, who has been with Old Stone Orchard for about a dozen years. “This weekend will be our fourth weekend and it’s been exceedingly busy for the season so far; I do believe that families are trying to get out of the house, keep the kids busy, and maybe celebrate autumn a little bit earlier than normal.”

The orchard is open Thursdays through Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Masks are required at the stand, but not in the orchards — though customers are asked to remain socially distant and put on a mask if they are passing other customers.

There is a pumpkin patch and animals to view, and customers are allowed to bring dogs as long as they remain on a leash and good around other people and dogs. Only cash and checks are accepted for payment. No reservations are needed.