July 13, 2025
Greetings from Wilkens Fruit & Fir Farm as we continue into our second century and celebrate our 109th year! We’ve been tending to our orchards, plantations, and vineyards to ensure a wonderful experience for you and your family this season.
The offseason continues to provide us with some time recharge, travel and spend quality time with family. Kristamarie and AJ her husband live in Marlborough CT with their two energetic boys Owen(4) and Wyatt(2). Kristamarie is thriving as an associate professor in the physical therapy program at the University of Hartford. Katrina is living in Manhattan while working for AECOM Tishman as a senior project manager. She’s currently part of the team building the new terminal 7 at JFK International airport – pretty exciting stuff! Stephanie is keeping busy as a account manager with FBMM entertainment business management. She splits her time between her office at the farm and her office in Manhattan. Barbie and Randy continue to travel and enjoy new adventures with family and friends. We’re always thankful to have so many family members jump in to help during the bustling harvest weekends—it wouldn’t be the same without them.
Each year brings new challenges to growing peaches, apples, grapes, pumpkins, and Christmas trees- and 2025 was no exception. This year we’ve had an abundance of rain which can be good and bad. Fortunately, we are pleased to report that we have a wonderful crop this year that is plentiful, well-sized and with beautiful color. Our trees bounced back remarkably after last year’s late May hailstorm. Now we are keeping our fingers crossed that hurricanes and severe thunderstorms stay away so the fruit can remain safely on the trees, ready for you to pick and enjoy!
The Apple Harvest kicks off on August 30th with early varieties such as Marshall Macs, Gala, and a few Honeycrisp on our shorter semi-dwarf trees. We’ll then move into a mix of classic and new varieties—including juicy McIntosh, crisp Cortlands, and the old-fashioned tart Baldwins, alongside newer favorites like Jonamac, Jonafree, and Crimson Gold. Customer favorites such as Empires, Macouns, and Jonagolds will follow soon after. The season wraps up in October with the sweet Red and Golden Delicious, tangy Fujis, and the wonderfully flavorful Idareds. All of these apples will be available by the peck (¼ bushel) or ½ bushel as they ripen on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and weekends in our Pick-Your-Own Orchards or in smaller quantities any day in our Farm Market. Our Market also features over 30 other apple varieties as they ripen, along with pure honey, maple syrup, fruit preserves, butters, and spreads. And of course, our fresh-pressed Pure Natural Apple Cider returns mid-September, when just the right blend of apples is ready. We never add sweeteners — just the crisp refreshing taste that Mother Nature intended.
Be sure to visit our BAKERY for our famous apple cider donuts or treat yourself to a FRESH-baked peach or apple pie for dinner. We also offer a variety of other FRUIT pies, strudel sticks, cookies, brownies and seasonal peach, plum or apple cakes. Our famous CHOCOLATE cider donuts are available as long as the temperature is not super hot – so they don’t melt. Remember that you can place your holiday pie order early for the holidays and schedule pick-up at your convenience!
This year we bottled WINE from our nineth year of harvest, using grapes grown here in our vineyard – Riesling and Cayuga White as well as Chambourcin, Geneva Red and Cabernet Franc. We’re also proud to continue pressing and fermenting our own hard apple cider, fondly named “Farmers’ Daughter.” Our White Hill Vineyard Wine Tasting Room is open on Saturdays and Sundays this fall! On beautiful days, you can enjoy a tasting outside in the field, while on chillier days, we welcome you to warm up inside our cozy tasting room.
Our CORN MAZE will be open all season on weekends and holidays – come wander through and try to guess the pattern or words carved into the field (best viewed from above!). Starting September 27th our Pick-Your-Own Pumpkin Patch opens – perfect for finding you Halloween Jack-O-Lantern pumpkins.
Looking ahead to the holidays, our Christmas Tree Season begins Saturday, November 29th, with trees ranging from 5 to 10 feet tall. Choose from our homegrown cut-your-own selection or beautiful pre-cut Fraser Firs. Reservations will be required only for the first weekend to ensure a smooth, enjoyable experience. Early arrival is recommended for the best selection.
Before visiting us, please call ahead to confirm fruit availability for Pick-Your-Own. Our Orchards, Markets and Bakery are open Wednesdays through Mondays, 10AM-5PM (last tractor/customers to orchard departs at 4:30PM). The farm is closed Tuesdays. We will be open for the following school holidays: Labor Day-September 1st, Rosh Hashanah-September 24th only, Yom Kippur-October 2nd, Columbus Day-October 13th. We will also open for Holiday Pie and gift pickups on Tuesday November 25th and Tuesday December 23rd.
We look forward to visiting with you very soon. Please note, due to public health guidelines, dogs are not permitted in the orchards or shops.
Warm regards, The Wilkens Farm Family
Visit us @ WWW.WILKENSFARM.COM
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