Frequently Asked Questions
Is your produce organic?
We know organic produce is a popular trend, but unfortunately in this climate, it is impossible to raise good fruit organically. We limit the amount of all sprays on our fruit crops unless it is absolutely necessary and it varies from year to year depending on our crazy northeast Ohio weather.
Where did your purchase your trees/bushes?
We purchased our apple trees from Adams County Nursery in Aspers, PA. www.acnursery.com
Our blueberry bushes came from DeGrandchamp Farms in South Haven, MI. www.degrandchamps.com
Currants were purchased from Nourse Farms in Whatley, MA. www.noursefarms.com
I'm interested in starting a few plants of my own, how do you grow/care for them?
The Ohio State University Cooperative Extension has information available online at their website, ohioline.osu.edu. Choose "Home, Yard & Garden" and this will give you a list of all their available bulletins. Here are a few we thought you might find useful:
"Growing Blueberries in the Home Garden" - ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/hyg-1422
"Growing Apples in the Home Orchard" - ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/hyg-1401
The OSU Extension Lake County office is located at 105 Main St., Suite B402 in Painesville. The telephone number is (440)853-2625. Hours are Monday through Thursday, 8:30am - 4:30pm, and Fridays by appointment only.
Cornell University's College of Agriculture & Life Sciences has a site called "Food Gardening," gardening.cals.cornell.edu/garden-guidance/foodgarden, with information about growing fruits and vegetables. They also have a book, Cornell Guide to Growing Fruit at Home. hdl.handle.net/1813/67
YouTube videos:
"How to Prune a Blueberry Bush"
The University of Maine
UDExtension (University of Delaware)
"How to Prune an Apple Tree"
Utah State University Extension
"Renovation Pruning an Old Apple Tree"
MSU Upper Peninsula Research and Extension
Why do you have wire fences around all of your trees?
It is a three-strand electric fence to keep deer from damaging our trees. But don't worry about getting shocked! We turn it off when we are open for picking.
Why are your apple trees so small?
Our apple trees are grafted onto super-dwarf rootstock. They need to be supported by a trellis system. There are advantages to having smaller trees on a trellis system, such as ease of picking and that fewer chemicals are needed for spraying.
How many pounds are in a peck of apples? How cups are in a pound of apples? etc.
Here are the most common apple equivalents:
1 pound apples = 2 large or 3 medium apples
1 pound apples = 2 ¾ cups cored, sliced or chopped apples
4 pounds fresh apples = 4 cups applesauce
4 pounds fresh apples = 1 pound dried apples
1 pound dried apples = 8 cups cooked apples
1 pound dried apples = 4 1/3 cups
1 pound sliced apples = about 2 ¾ cups
1 peck = about 10 ½ pounds
1 bushel = 42 pounds
How many pounds do the u-pick apple bags hold?
Half peck 4-5 lbs.
Peck 9-10 lbs.
Half-bushel 19-22 lbs.
Do you know of any good recipes for using your produce?
Of course! Check out our Recipes page here.
What are some safe and reliable resources for freezing and canning?
Ball Blue Book
Putting Food By by Janet Greene, Ruth Hertzberg, Beatrice Vaughan
The National Center for Home Food Preservation - nchfp.uga.edu
Ohio State University Extension
Ohioline - Food Bulletins and Fact Sheets
Food Preservation Hotline 1-800-752-2751
Do you sell wholesale?
No. We only have enough produce for our U-Pick customers.
Do you allow pets?
No, we do not allow pets. Even on a cooler, sunny day, your vehicle can heat up very quickly. So please take care of your pets and leave them at home, not in the car.