Apple Picking Around Rochester
With New York being the second highest producer of apples in the US, it seems like a no-brainer to go apple picking when you’re here. Luckily, there are several places you can enjoy this very autumnal activity not far from Rochester.
Last year I went apple picking here with the Quidditch team. They went again this year, but I wasn’t able to join them. For $25 you get a bag that you can fill as high as you like. Plus, you can sample as many apples as you want while you’re picking! Once you’ve had your fill of apples, you can go to the gift shop, where fresh apple cider doughnuts, apple cider, and other (apple-free) food is available.
West Wind Fruit Farm/Green Acre
I went apple picking here with College Diabetes Network. I’m not in the club, but I saw they were going apple picking so I got a ticket and tagged along. For just $5 I got a bag to fill with apples and transportation to and from Green Acre. We went at the end of the season, so pickings were quite slim. Most of the apples left were too high for me to reach. After filling our bags, my friend and I went to the Blue Barn Cidery, where we each got an apple cider doughnut and a half-gallon of apple cider. This was a great and very affordable outing that got me out of bed on a Saturday morning!
These are the places I’ve gone apple picking, but there are many other options! Hurd Orchards, Robb Farms, Whittier Fruit Farm, and G and S Orchards are all about a half-hour drive from campus. Be sure to try apple picking when you’re in Rochester next fall!