The Farmers' Market may feature locally grown delectables, but some UW-Madison students have found that nothing is more satisfying than the crunch of a handpicked apple.
""I like picking apples because they taste better,"" said UW-Madison junior AndrAca Martin. ""Picking apples is also a lot of fun; I get to chat with my family or whomever I am picking with.""
For Sarah Ward, a UW-Madison grad student, the appeal of picking-your-own apples ""is that it's kind of old-fashioned and a change of pace from campus life. It's way different than buying apples at the Farmer's Market because the Farmer's Market is always kind of busy and hectic in my experience, but apple picking is pretty laid back.""
Dick and Vivian Green—owners of Pleasant Springs Orchard, 2722 Williams Dr., in Stoughton—offer pick-your-own apples to give customers ""the opportunity to learn what apple growing and harvesting is all about, as well as make direct contact with the persons growing and managing the orchard.
""While apple growing is not a major industry in Wisconsin, it has been around for at least 150 years,"" the owners added.
The number of PYO orchards in Dane County is almost as numerous as the types of apples grown here. Dr. Kevin Kosola, a UW-Madison assistant professor in horticulture, recommended the Wisconsin Apple Growers Association website, www.waga.org, for finding orchard addresses, contact information, and available varieties.
""Apple orchards in Wisconsin are typically small family operations, growing varieties that you can't always find at supermarkets,"" Kosola said. ""Some apples keep incredibly well, so we get a mix of different varieties and have apples from local orchards through December.
""It's tough to pick a single favorite apple variety,"" Kosola added. ""When we do apple variety taste tests in my class, it's clear that people's preferences vary widely.""
Among Kosola's personal favorites are Ashmead's Kernel for eating, baking, and easy storage, Braeburn and Honeycrisp for eating and Jonafree for applesauce. All of these varieties grow in Wisconsin.
""If you haven't tried anything beyond the standard varieties, you will be amazed at what's available,"" Kosola said.
Among the closest PYO orchards are the Greens' Pleasant Springs Orchard, Eplegaarden, Appleberry Farm and Carandale Farm. The picking season at most of these orchards ends October 31.
Pleasant Springs Orchard offers not only PYO apples—including the Honeycrisp—but also pumpkins, squash, miscellaneous vegetables, freshly made cider and honey from their own beehives. The orchard offers educational tours for schools and other groups in September and October.
Eplegaarden, 2227 Fitchburg Rd., in Fitchburg, advertises itself as an old-fashioned orchard with Norwegian influences. Visitors can pick apples, raspberries and pumpkins. Eplegaarden is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Saturday, and on Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. To get directions or learn about special events, check out their website at www.eplegaarden.com.
Also, Ward has enjoyed picking apples at Appleberry Farm, 8079 Maurer Rd., in Cross Plains. Owner Dave Wildes said Appleberry Farm offers PYO apples, including several rare heirloom varieties, as well as pumpkins, hayrides, a duck pond and hiking through an ""oak savannah.""
""We are most famous for our homemade caramel apples, cider donuts and fresh-pressed cider,"" Wildes said.
Carandale Farm, 5683 Lincoln Rd., in Oregon, allows customers to pick their own apples, grapes, strawberries, raspberries, pumpkins and gourds. Information on environmental and social issues, including Carandale Farm's test plot and educational events can be found on their website, www.carandale.com.
Martin offered one more reason for students to try apple picking.
""Of all [the] outdoor recreational activities, picking fruit is probably the least lame because you get something material and delicious out of it at the end instead of just getting to spend time in the great outdoors.
""I would challenge anyone who thinks apple picking is lame to try it sometime with a group of friends or family,"" she said.
