Beer barn and livestock pen
New England is littered with roadside farmstands. Most are quite good, with fresh vegetables, fruits and, in some cases, homemade jellies, jams and pies. A few offer self-picking of apples, blueberries, strawberries and other fruits. Some are so good with so many products and activities that they become destinations. Red Apple Farm, in Phillipston MA, is just such a place.
Red Apple Farm has some kind of vague familial association with Lamb City Campground, our seasonal home. We were told, by an employee at Red Apple, who really wasn’t too sure, that perhaps the owner of Red Apple was the son of the owner of Lamb City. What is absolutely indisputable, though, is that they are adjacent to each other and Lamb City prominently advertises Red Apple in its literature and runs hayrides through the connecting fields so that campers can shop at Red Apple. It is certainly a cozy relationship.
I visited Red Apple four times this summer. The first visit was a brief lets-see-what-they’ve-got visit with Jett. It was pre-July 4th so it wasn’t very busy and the shelves were only partially stocked. Still, we were impressed by the variety and quality of the merchandise.
The second was a mid-summer visit with Rusty and Ray and Kim’s three neighbor kids, Connor, Riley and Levi. We walked the connecting road with Rusty leading the way. They went into the store and spent some money on fudge, to which they gave high marks. They also enjoyed the animals in the livestock pen – lots of goats plus a few ponies and steers. Finding and eating wild raspberries on the way home was a bonus.
Red Apple General Store
Jellies and jams
The third visit was on Labor Day with Jett and her sister Sybil. Our intent was to get a meal (they have a BBQ shack) and a beer (from the beer barn). However, both closed at 4pm, which was the precise time that we arrived. So we were forced to switch to Plan B – dinner and drinks at the King Phillip Restaurant (to be reviewed soon) which we enjoyed very much. I got a beer at the beer barn before we departed. But I was disappointed to find that no beer is actually brewed there and the offerings, while interesting, were limited. The whole visit was a bit of a downer, but King Phillip saved the day.
The fourth visit was just a couple of weeks ago, with my wonderful granddaughter Lili. She was not impressed by the merchandise in the store but enjoyed picking a bag of apples which were ripe.
Four visits, four pleasant days. If you get to Phillipston, check out the Red Apple Farm. Recommended.
Tree with – what else? – red apples
Picking wild berries
Red Apple Farm
Beer barn and livestock pen
New England is littered with roadside farmstands. Most are quite good, with fresh vegetables, fruits and, in some cases, homemade jellies, jams and pies. A few offer self-picking of apples, blueberries, strawberries and other fruits. Some are so good with so many products and activities that they become destinations. Red Apple Farm, in Phillipston MA, is just such a place.
Red Apple Farm has some kind of vague familial association with Lamb City Campground, our seasonal home. We were told, by an employee at Red Apple, who really wasn’t too sure, that perhaps the owner of Red Apple was the son of the owner of Lamb City. What is absolutely indisputable, though, is that they are adjacent to each other and Lamb City prominently advertises Red Apple in its literature and runs hayrides through the connecting fields so that campers can shop at Red Apple. It is certainly a cozy relationship.
I visited Red Apple four times this summer. The first visit was a brief lets-see-what-they’ve-got visit with Jett. It was pre-July 4th so it wasn’t very busy and the shelves were only partially stocked. Still, we were impressed by the variety and quality of the merchandise.
The second was a mid-summer visit with Rusty and Ray and Kim’s three neighbor kids, Connor, Riley and Levi. We walked the connecting road with Rusty leading the way. They went into the store and spent some money on fudge, to which they gave high marks. They also enjoyed the animals in the livestock pen – lots of goats plus a few ponies and steers. Finding and eating wild raspberries on the way home was a bonus.
Red Apple General Store
Jellies and jams
The third visit was on Labor Day with Jett and her sister Sybil. Our intent was to get a meal (they have a BBQ shack) and a beer (from the beer barn). However, both closed at 4pm, which was the precise time that we arrived. So we were forced to switch to Plan B – dinner and drinks at the King Phillip Restaurant (to be reviewed soon) which we enjoyed very much. I got a beer at the beer barn before we departed. But I was disappointed to find that no beer is actually brewed there and the offerings, while interesting, were limited. The whole visit was a bit of a downer, but King Phillip saved the day.
The fourth visit was just a couple of weeks ago, with my wonderful granddaughter Lili. She was not impressed by the merchandise in the store but enjoyed picking a bag of apples which were ripe.
Four visits, four pleasant days. If you get to Phillipston, check out the Red Apple Farm. Recommended.
Tree with – what else? – red apples
Picking wild berries
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