By Valentina Ceriello
Ah, apple picking. A favorite fall pastime. Whether it be with family or friends, we all like apple picking. However, some of us can’t seem to find good places to go apple picking in the area. Below I have listed some great places to go apple picking in Rockland County.
Dr. Davies Farm: Opening in 1962, Dr. Davies Farm, located in Congers, is hosting apple picking sessions from August 30 to November 15. The apples you can pick there are Gala, Cortland, Fuji, Pink Lady, and Red Delicious, to name a few. The farm also has a restaurant called Red Barn Cidery, where they sell ciders, beer, and wine. The cidery has live music and food trucks as well. A reviewer from Been There, Done That Trips says the apples she picked were really tasty. Growing up, my family and I always went to Dr. Davies for apple picking. Whenever I ate the apples from here, I found them to be juicy and they tasted very good. The last time I went to Dr. Davies was last year, with my mom, dad, grandma, and grandpa. When we picked the apples off the tree and ate them, they were so good! So speaking from past experiences, I’d recommend Dr. Davies for apple picking.
The Orchards Of Concklin: Located in Pomona, New York, The Orchard of Concklin is another place in Rockland County to go apple picking. The orchard has been around for three hundred years and they produce a variety of apples and ciders during the fall. They also produce other things as well, such as potted flowers in the spring and honey year-round. A reviewer from Yelp said the green apples are a little bitter, but delicious. Another reviewer said the farm felt nostalgic, as he went there with his kids, who are now adults at the time of this review. My personal experience with this farm has been…well, I don’t have much to say because I’ve never even been there!
Secor Farms: For this one, we have to travel out of state to New Jersey. This farm is located in the town of Mahwah, New Jersey. To pick apples here, you need to go on a group hayride, where you can also pick pumpkins. Secor Farms also has a petting zoo and a corn maze if you don’t want to go apple or pumpkin picking. A reviewer listed on the Secor Farms page says it is a great place and it is a very family-friendly place to go with your family.
Ochs Orchard: Now, for the second to last apple picking spot, we’re going back to New York State and into Orange County. This farm, called Ochs Orchard, is located in Warwick, New York. It opened in 1920, and since then has been a popular place in Orange County to go apple picking. This farm has apple picking from late August to November, so you’re running out of time to head over. Och’s also offer other things to pick, such as peaches and pumpkins. A reviewer from Park Slope Parents says the place was very charming and relaxed compared to other orchards they’d been to.
Pennings Orchard: For the last place on this list, we are going to stay in Warwick to go to Pennings Orchard. Pennings has been open since 1983 and also has a farmer’s market that sells produce such as sweet corn, squash, pumpkins, and tomatoes. The apples you can pick on this farm include McIntosh, Honeycrisp, and more. A review from TripAdvisor says that she had a good time with her family when they visited. She recommends you make reservations because this orchard is very popular and you won’t have to wait in line for a while if you reserve ahead of time. I went there when I was little, and I always played on the playground and looked at the chickens. I even ate there a few times and my family has been to the market.
These are some of the places that are really popular to go apple picking in and around Rockland County. We are lucky to live in a place so ripe(pun intended) with opportunities to load up on apples this time of year. I hope you take my recommendations and visit these local orchards this fall!