Although in recent years Harvard has avoided October frosts, on Monday night this week, temperatures dipped low enough for our first frost. While it was a light one, it sufficed to do in the corn plants at Willard Farm. Paul Willard said even though the plants are dying, the corn can still be picked for one or two more days, but by the end of the week corn will be gone from the stand. Chris Green at Westward Orchards said he saw a very light frost on his vegetable garden, but the kale he picked the next morning was fine, and he didn’t think the corn plants were damaged. Frank Carlson, whose daughter Katie brings produce from her farm in New Hampshire to Carlson’s each day, said the corn there escaped unharmed. Low-lying fields, where Willard’s corn is located, are more susceptible to frost.
Carlson Orchards, 115 Oak Hill Road
Pick-your-own apples 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Now picking McIntosh, Cortland, Macoun, Empire, Fuji, Northern Spy, Idared, Red Rome, Cameo, Mutsu, Jonagold, and Granny Smith will be available by the weekend; check Facebook or call as varieties may change. McIntosh, Honeycrisp, Macoun, Empire, Cortland, Ginger Gold, Fuji, Mutsu, Northern Spy, Jonagold, Gala, Cameo, and Golden Delicious apples and Bartlett pears are available in the store, as is local cider. Brookdale Fruit Farm’s corn (until first frost), tomatoes, winter squash (butternut, buttercup, and acorn), sugar pumpkins, mini pumpkins, and gourds in the tent next to the store. Large pumpkins from Wilson Farm in Lexington.
Doe Orchards, 327 Ayer Road
Pick-your-own apples 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily; stand is open until 5 p.m. Now picking Macoun, Gala, Fuji, Cortland, McIntosh, Jonagold, Empire, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Mutsu, and Granny Smith apples. On the stand are Honeycrisp, Macoun, Gala, Fuji, Cortland, McIntosh, and Empire apples, as well as Doe’s pumpkins and gourds and local cider.
Old Frog Pond Farm, 38 Eldridge Road
Raspberry picking Wednesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mesclun greens, tomatoes, lunchbox peppers, and garlic at the self-service farmstand on the front porch (closed on Mondays). Apples are done. All crops certified organic by Baystate Certified.
Westward Orchards, 178 Massachusetts Avenue
Pick-your-own apples daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. for the rest of the season; currently picking McIntosh, Cortland, Macoun, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, and Empire. Pick-your-own pumpkins with wagon ride to the pumpkin patch on Saturdays and Sundays, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. In the store, Jonagold, McIntosh, Cortland, Macoun, Gala, Golden Delicious, Empire, and Roxbury Russet apples, Seckel, Bartlett, and Bosc pears, and local cider. Also winter squash (butternut, buttercup, sunshine, spaghetti, acorn), plums, tomatoes, potatoes, corn, leeks, parsnips, cauliflower, lettuce, peppers (sweet and hot), eggplant, cabbage, carrots, kale, summer squash, zucchini, beets, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, shallots, mixed herbs, a variety of cut flowers, pumpkins, sugar pumpkins, and gourds. Some nectarines are still available.
Willard Farm, 218 Still River Road
Yukon Gold and Green Mountain potatoes, winter squash (butternut, acorn, buttercup, spaghetti, delicata, carnival, blue and red Hubbard), pumpkins, sugar pumpkins, and gourds, including large decorative gourds. Some peppers are still available.
All produce listed is Harvard-grown unless otherwise noted. Brookdale Fruit Farm is in Hollis, New Hampshire.
—Compiled by Joan Eliyesil
