Westward Orchards is celebrating its hundredth anniversary this year. Stephanie Green told the Press that her great-grandfather Ernst Hermann moved to Harvard from Boston because he wanted his children to experience rural life. That experience has continued for three generations. Stephanie now runs the Westward store, where her mother, father, and aunt all still work, and her brother Chris tends the CSA vegetable farm and orchards. Some of the trees planted by Ernst and his son William are still producing the old varieties that were popular in those days, providing a taste of the past for customers. They include Baldwin and Roxbury Russet apples; Bosc, Bartlett, and Seckel pears; and quince.
Carlson Orchards, 115 Oak Hill Road
Pick-your-own raspberries and Ginger Gold, McIntosh, Royal Gala, and Honeycrisp apples. In the store: peaches, nectarines, and all the apples that are available for picking as well as Cortland. Brookdale Fruit Farm’s corn, tomatoes (including organic cherry tomatoes), cucumbers, pickling cucumbers, green peppers, zucchini, and summer squash. Local eggs, mums, and mini pumpkins. Check the website or Facebook page for updates. Store is open Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pick-your-own hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. www.carlsonorchards.com
Doe Orchards, 327 Ayer Road
Pick-your-own yellow peaches and Honeycrisp, Gala, Ginger Gold, and Gravenstein apples. All of those are also available at the stand, along with Doe’s honey, blueberry jam, and sunflowers. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. www.doeorchards.com
Old Frog Pond Farm, 38 Eldridge Road
Pick-your-own raspberries and apples this weekend, Sept. 14 and 15, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Asian pears, Bartlett pears, melons, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, and other vegetables, as well as eggs and Frog Pond’s honey and blueberry jam at the self-serve stand. All produce is certified organic. www.oldfrogpondfarm.com
Westward Orchards, 178 Massachusetts Avenue
Pick-your-own apples starts Saturday, Sept. 14; check Facebook for varieties. In the store: strawberries, nectarines, and yellow and white peaches, as well as Gala, Ginger Gold, McIntosh, Cortland, and Honeycrisp apples and red Bartlett pears. Tomatoes (regular, heirloom, and cherry), potatoes, lettuce, kale, collard greens, eggplant, Japanese eggplant, broccoli, summer squash, zucchini, mixed-color peppers, wax beans, purple beans, beets, herbs, and fresh-cut flowers. Store is open daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., picking till 4 p.m. daily. www.westwardorchards.com
Willard Farm, 218 Still River Road
White, yellow, and three varieties of bicolor corn: Java, Providence, and Profit. Tomatoes, including Pink Girl, Carolina Gold, Roma, uglies and almost-uglies; winter squash, including Acorn, Buttercup, Butternut, Carnival, Delicata, Red Kuri, and Spaghetti at the self-serve farmstand. www.facebook.com/Willard-Farm
All produce listed is Harvard-grown unless otherwise noted.
Brookdale Fruit Farm is in Hollis, New Hampshire.
—Compiled by Joan Eliyesil
Sunday Bluegrass is back this fall on the porch of Westward Orchards Farmstand. Pictured here are Ralph DeFlorio of Harvard on harmonica and guitar and Pat Rooney of Westminster on fiddle. (Photo by Jay Clark)
