PEABODY — With the seasonal aromas of cider donuts and hot cider in the air, Brooksby Farm was the place to be this weekend to welcome the fall season.
Business was brisk both days with clear, crisp skies overhead and a steady stream of apple pickers of all ages waiting their turns to fill their bags.
It was more of the same across the street at the farm’s country store, where people waited in line to purchase locally-made pies, jams and jellies, lollipops, fudge and bakery goodies.
Farm manager Joanne Roden said operations never stopped at the farm during the pandemic.
“We knew we were a source for what we needed,” she said. “We are happy to be open and see families again. Everyone has been very receptive and they are happy to be out and doing something.”
Other than the petting farm, where kids can feed all sorts of animals, including goats, chickens, pigs, geese, sheep, sheep, llamas, “Lola” the donkey and even an alpaca, the most popular spot at Brooksby Sunday was the new Donut Hut, which is selling Brooksby’s signature cider donuts and cider on weekends. Sunday at midday there was a 30-minute wait in line.
“We knew we couldn’t accommodate everyone in the store, so we had to do something and we moved the donuts and cider outside,” said Store Manager Michelle Melanson. “All of our products are locally made. We also are selling a lot of cornstalks and pumpkins.”
Short but sweet is the rule of the day. Customers may not linger or eat fruit in the orchard either from picking bags or off the tree. Face masks covering both nose and mouth are mandatory in the farm store, in the fields and while visiting animals. Handwashing stations must be used before entering the picking field. Children must be supervised and by the side of adults at all times. Large groups have been discouraged from visiting the store, which has reconfigured its space to allow for one-way shopping, socially-distanced check-out stations and plexiglass shields at the registers.
Eric McCarthy, a self-described jack-of-all trades on the farm, said Brooksby came through the summer drought virtually unscathed.
“We were a little worried when it wasn’t raining, but we were lucky to have city water to use, but a lot of the farms we use were really hurting,” he said. “Apples are a little more hardy.”
McCarthy said the apple-picking season will run through the end of October and that Brooksby has 50 acres of trees with about 10 varieties in you-pick and another 10 more varieties available in the store.
The orchards are open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. The farm store is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Occupancy is limited to 30 persons at one time and all purchases must be taken to-go.
Peabody resident Dylan Jenkins, a student at Westfield State University, was busy directing the flow of traffic in the field parking lot.
“We have had a super-successful opening the last two weeks and already we have at least one orchard picked pretty clean,” he said. “Saturday was really busy and we ran out of parking completely. There are so many people coming to get apples and cider and donuts and pick some pumpkins, so it’s been great.”
Jenkins said that while he was disappointed the farm can no longer offer its popular hay rides this season due to the pandemic, he has heard that socially-distanced rides might be in the works.
Timothy and Liz Brown were making their first-ever visit to the farm since moving from Rochester, N.Y., to Malden about a month ago.
“My son and daughter-in-law told us about it. They were here last weekend and brought us some apples,” Liz said. “They were good — just as good as the ones we have in Rochester.”
Fourteen-year-old Alyssa Soule of Lynn, a freshman at St. Mary’s, picked apples with her grandmother, aunt and younger sister.
“My aunt thought it would be a great day for some family fun,” Alyssa said. “And it was.”
