Apple picking season opens Saturday

PEABODY – Apple picking has always been a treasured fall activity; little kids in cozy sweaters, sitting on dad’s shoulders as they reach for the biggest fruit. It’s a great family outing that reminds us of simpler times. Luckily, the sunny days at the end of August were good for beach-goers and apple trees alike.”The first two weeks were pretty horrible,” admits Pat Kriksceonaitis, manager of Brooksby Farms. “We had 14 days of rain, which can hinder crops, due to disease and such? We were able to keep things protected, and the temperatures were cool, so that helped with diseases.”Bob Connors of Connors Farm in Danvers benefited from the warm weather as well, saying that this year’s apples are “bigger and brighter.”The typical apple season runs from Labor Day through Columbus Day. Some varieties are ripe earlier than September, and some will be ready at the end of October, into early November, but it is greatly reduced. Brooksby Farms has had apples for the past couple of weeks in their farm store, but pick-your-own apples starts this Saturday. But be prepared for a busy orchard; Kriksceonaitis said that the farm could get “three or four thousand people on a weekend day.””The six weeks between Labor Day and Columbus Day is when the bulk of our business is done. We do everything we can to keep people moving and keep people happy,” said Kriksceonaitis, adding that most of his staff will be used as traffic control during this busy time.The farm grows 24 varieties of apples, everything from Macs and Cortlands to Galas, Honeycrisps, and a bunch of Delicious varieties although they ripen at different times, there are apples for eating, baking, and storing (some apples, like the Russet, actually tastes better a month after it is picked).Brooksby Farm participates in a “strong integrated pest management” program, which means workers spray only as a last resort and instead use non-chemical treatments.”We haven’t sprayed in at least six weeks. By the time the public gets to the crops, it will have been about two months since we’ve sprayed,” says Kriksceonaitis.As manager, he goes out to the fields at least every other day and looks at each block of trees, to make sure everything is growing as planned.From the 80 acres of apples the farm has, they are hoping to get between 12 to 15 thousand bushels of apples throughout the season.Mary Jordan, director of the state’s agricultural development division, said Massachusetts’ apple inspector has reported that this year’s crop is especially colorful and bountiful. She predicts the yield to be about 1 million bushels, which is a bit more than last year. This harvest will bring in anywhere from $12 million to $15 million for the economy.”It’s a beautiful spot to spend an afternoon with the family,” said Kriksceonaitis. “And you get to take home some healthy apples.”