2024 Western Nova Scotia, Canada Apple U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org

Apple U-Pick Orchards in Western Nova Scotia, Canada in 2024, by county

Below are the U-Pick orchards and farms for apples that we know of in this area.

Not all areas of a province or region have apples orchards that are open to the public. If you know of any others, please tell us using the add a farm form!

Remember to always check with the farm's own website or Facebook page before you go - or call or email them if they don't have a website or Facebook page. Conditions at the farms and crops can change literally overnight, so if you want to avoid a wasted trip out there - check with the farm directly before you go! If I cannot reach them, I DON'T GO!

PLEASE report closed farms, broken links and incorrect info using the "Report Corrections" form below.

New! As inflation remains high, see this page for reliable (tested) brands of generic canning lids at lower costs, and cost-saving measures for getting fruit and vegetables and home canning.
 If you are having a hard time finding canning lids, I've used these, and they're a great price & ship in 2 days.

New! Road tripping and camping is a great way to have a fun, safe and inexpensive family trip. The national and state parks and monuments are open, and campgrounds usually cost between $10 and $40 per night. September to November is the best camping weather.  See our new website Road Tripping and Camping.com for tips, tricks, guides, checklists and info about parks, monuments and other places to visit.

New! We just went live with our latest website, FunFactoryTours.com - As they name implies, you can find a fun factory tour, including chocolate, automobiles, historical forts and sites, famous buildings, Active Federal facilities even fun geology: like fossils and volcanic areas

Annapolis

• Dempsey Corner Orchards - apples, beans, beets, blueberries, carrots, cherries, corn (sweet), onions, pears, peaches, plums, pumpkins, raspberries (red), strawberries, gift shop, snacks and refreshment stand, restrooms, petting zoo, farm animals, school tours, events at your location (call for info)
  2717 Route 221, Aylesford, NS B0P 1C0. Phone: 902-847-1855. Email: dempseycornerorchards@ns.aliantzinc.ca. Open: 7 days a week from 10 until 5 yes, that includes Sunday. Directions: Just North of Exit 16 in the Annapolis Valley and follow the signs. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Cheque, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard. Pick Fruits and VegetablesWe have 12 different varieties and flavours of cherries.Come pick a peach off the tree. There are 57 varieties of apples to try. Plums come in different colours and sizes, but they all grow on trees and we will let you pick them all.Dig your own potatoes, carrots, onions, and beets. Table grapes and Wine grapes. Pumpkins from the field are way more fun than pumpkins from a shelf at the grocery store. (UPDATED: March 1, 2021 JBS)

Kings

• Apple Lane Farm - apples
  54 Prospect Rd, Berwick, NS B0P 1E0. Phone: 902-538-7376. Email: applelanefarm@eastlink.ca. Open: see their website. Directions: Located in the beautiful Annapolis Valley of Nova Scotia, Apple Lane Farm is a mixed farm that consists of mainly apples, pears, peaches, as well as a variety of other agricultural ventures. Click here for a map and directions.
  Apple Lane Farm Facebook page. In 2020, Prices were Adults $20, includes a 5lbs bag for u-pick and personalized apple tasting, Kids (ages 5-14) $10, includes a 3lbs bag for u-pick and personalized apple tasting, Children 4 and under are free. Note: More u-pick bags will be available for purchase. Unfortunately due to food safety pets are not able to join us in the orchard. o reserve your spot send us a direct message on social media or email us at info@applelanefarm.ca, indicating your desired time slot and a range of potential time slots. We will send you a confirmation of your reservationis a mixed farm in the Annapolis Valley that produces, as well as pears and other fruit. Our roadside stand is open in the fall. . We produce over 20 varieties of as well as 6 varieties of pears to match the taste of every consumerfacebook page. primarily a fruit farm, with over 25 varieties of . We also grow pears, peaches, cherries, plums, raspberries, strawberries, vegetables, fresh and dried flowers. Harvest begins in the summer with strawberries and stretches into early November as we finish off the apple harvest. We continue to sell into the winter through the use of cold storage. We strive to produce a quality fruit, that is tree ripened and unmatched in flavour. We open our roadside stand in early summer as things begin to ripen. We keep the roadside stand open rain or shine and we will quite often be found there with a smile on! (ADDED: April 13, 2021, JBS)
• Boates Vinegar & U-Pick - apples, pears
  432 Bligh Road, Halifax, NS . Phone: 902-678-7671. Email: kb@xcountry.tv. Directions: Located at Boates Farm as well as throughout the winter. Click here for a map and directions.
  Boates Vinegar & U-Pick Facebook page. Fax: 902-678-0771 .Boates Farm specializes in organic, sweet apple cider and vinegars. We strive to produce apples and pears with as few inputs as possible. This helps boost populations of beneficial insects and lends to an ecologically-friendly management system. All of our new orchard plantings are managed organically without synthetic inputs. Our organic program is certified by Pro-Cert Organic Systems Inc. Fresh fruit, sweet cider and vinegar are marketed at a U-Pick during harvest in the Fall, . Picked fruit, sweet cider and vinegar are available on Saturdays at the historic Farmer's Market at the Brewery, 1496 Water Street, Halifax. Boates Vinegar and U-Pick facebook page.
• ColdWeather Farms - apples, blackberries, pumpkins, raspberries (red), raspberries (Spring, red), raspberries (Autumn, red), raspberries (yellow),
  908 Gaspereau River Road, Wolfville, NS B4P 2R3. Phone: 902 542-2084. Email: info@gaspereau.ca. Open: daily, from 7 am to 7 pm; The season begins in July and ends in August; Please call for a recorded message which is updated in the morning and again at noon time. Directions: To get to ColdWeather Farms or Gaspereau Valley Bed and Breakfast from Halifax take exit 9 and follow the signs to Gaspereau Valley. If coming form the other direction please take exit 11 and follow signs to Gaspereau Valley. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, only. The season begins in July and ends in the middle of August
• Elderkin's Farm Market and U-Pick - strawberries, apples, pears, pumpkins, cherries, blueberries, raspberries and gooseberries, Trout
  #10362 Hwy #1, Greenwich., NS . Phone: 902-542-7198. Email: elderkinsapples@gmail.com. Open: U-Pick Hours are Monday - Saturday: 8 am to 9 pm and Sunday: 9 am to 9 pm. Click here for a map and directions. Fax: 902-542-3842 Take exit 11 off Hwy 101, keep right to wolfville. full line farm market, Scotsburn ice cream, sweet & hard cider, bakery items made from scratch with no additives or preservatives, crafts, gifts, fruit trees, perennials and shrubs for sale, adopt-a -tree. Facilities/attractions: blossom tours, wagon rides, fish pond, farm animals, picnic tables and the best view in the Valley with a pleasant walk. Contact: Peter Elderkin, Elderkin's U-Pick offers the following seasonal varieties: Strawberries, Gooseberries, Cherries, Blueberries, Apples (Jersey Mac, Viking, Bough Sweet), Peaches, Blackberries, Pears. (UPDATED: March 1, 2021 JBS)
• Foote Family Farm - apples, pears, plums, pumpkins, honey from hives on the farm
  1972 Woodville Road, Woodville, NS . Phone: 902-678-4371. Email: trina@footefamilyfarm.com. Click here for a map and directions. Payment: cash, cheque only. Fax: 902-678-1375. north of Highway 221 at Woodville. honey, apple cider, beekeeping supplies, walking trail, picnic areaOur honey is non-pasturized and contains no preservatives. In addition to our liquid honey, we manufacture creamed honey as well as cut comb. Honey is packaged in a variety of containers, from 500g bottles all the way up to 60-pound pails. Buyers can purchase any amount they desire, from single bottles to case lots. Honey also is available in bulk, so anyone can bring their own containers and have them filled. Depending on the season, different types of honey are available, including blueberry, clover and wildflower. Extractors remove the honey from the honeycombIf you visit the farm store in the fall, you can see the process of collecting the honey as it is being removed in the honey room with the extractors.
• Gates U-Pick - apples (Cortland, Macs, Gravs, Red Delicious, Spy, Nova Mac, Mira, Prima just to name a few varieties), pears, pumpkins
  1263 Starr\'s Point Road, Port Williams, NS . Phone: 902-542-9340. Open: 9 am to 6 pm, September 1-October 30. Click here for a map and directions. Fax: 902-542-1656 Take exit 11 off 101 Hwy at Old Orchard Inn, follow signs to Port Williams. pre-picked fruit and a no-spray section, school buses welcome, free wagon rides, picnic tables, ducks and geese on ponds.
• Noggins Corner Farm Ltd - Corn Maze, Barnyard Adventure, U-Pick pumpkins, apples and flowers.
  10009 Hwy #1, Greenwich, NS . Phone: 902-542-5515. Open: 10 am to 8 pm. Directions: Exit 11 off Hwy 101, proceed to bottom of the hill, look for large Farm Market sign on the roof, turn left on Hwy # 1. Noggins Corner Farm is about 500 yd down the road on your right. . Click here for a map and directions. Historic walking trails. Admission; adults $5.00, children (5 - 15) $4.00, under 5 free. Come visit our farm market featuring Valley grown farm, fresh produce including, peaches, pears, over 30 varieties of apples, sweet corn, squash and all sizes of pumpkins. (UPDATED: March 1, 2021 JBS)
• Oakview Farm - No pesticides are used, apples, peaches, raspberries (black), strawberries, Fresh eggs, U-pick and already picked, porta-potties
  7 Longspell Branch, Kingsport, NS B0P 1H0. Phone: (902) 582-7454. Email: oakview@xcountry.tv. Open: Hours and availability of crops to pick varies considerably; please call or email for current availability and hours. Directions: Take exit 11 on highway 101, proceed north to Canning and stay on highway 221 to Kingsport. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash or cheque only. Strawberry season is typically July 1 to July 20th; Peach season is typically August 15 to September 15. We do not use pesticides on the crops. We are a non spray farm. We have free run brown eggs available at the farm. We are a small mixed farm with greenhouse. We bought our farm and moved here in December 1996. We have a small flock of free run laying hens, a small herd of beef cows, a small (no spray) strawberry u-pick at the start of the summer and a peach u-pick in August, usually, (UPDATED: March 1, 2021 JBS) (UPDATED: July 10, 2018)
• Stirling Fruit Farms - strawberries, apples, corn maze, pumpkins
  10317 Highway 1, Greenwich, NS B4P 2R2. Phone: 902-542-3763. Email: greatapples@stirlingfruitfarms.ca. Open: daily, but Always check ahead for hours of operation. Click here for a map and directions.
  Stirling Fruit Farms Facebook page. . We have seasonal U-Picks at our Wolfville location in the Annapolis Valley. Join us in the summer for our Strawberry U-Pick and from early September to the end of October for our Apple U-Pick and Pumpkin U-Pick. Enjoy fall fun on our hayrides and get lost in our popular corn maze! Our Stirling Farm Markets are open year round! For directions, and a link to a google map for each location, click on an image below.We have seasonal U-Picks at our Greenwich location in the Annapolis Valley. Join us in the summer for our Strawberry U-Pick and from early September to the end of October for our Apple U-Pick and Pumpkin U-Pick. Always check ahead for hours of operation.(ADDED: July 20, 2018, JBS)
• Stonehenge Farm - raspberries, apples
  2380 Harmony Road, Aylesford, NS . Phone: 902-844-1451. Email: dsj@chiassons.com. Open: Call for hours and availability. Directions: Exit 16 off Hwy 101, south 7 km on Victoria Road, Left at Harmony Road sign. adopt your own apples tree with certificate and tree sign. Tourism attractions in the local area: Oaklawn Farm Zoo - 4 km. . Click here for a map and directions.
• Willowbank Upick Farm - apples, pumpkins,
  Starrs Point, Exit 11 off 101 Highway, Port Williams, NS B0P 1T0. Phone: 902-542-9153. Email: u-pickfarm@hotmail.com. Open: Early September to Late October 7 days a week; 9am to 5:30pm, Each Fall the weekend after Labor Day, until Late October. Directions: Take Exit 11 off the 101 highway \(Greenwich\) Head North on route #358 to Port Williams, follow the signs for the Historic Prescott Museum and watch for Willowbank Upick signs along the way. Turn Right at the white church in Port Williams on to Starr\'s Point Road. We are only 5 minutes from the Old Orchard Inn which is located at exit 11 off the 101. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, only.
  Willowbank Upick Farm Facebook page. Picking updates: UPDATE for 2021: Their website is down (could be temporary), so see the Facebook page for current informationTake Exit 11 off the 101 highway (Greenwich) Head North on route #358 to Port Williams, follow the signs for the Historic Prescott Museum and watch for Willowbank Upick signs along the way. Turn Right at the white church in Port Williams on to Starr's Point Road. We are only 5 minutes from the Old Orchard Inn which is located at exit 11 off the 101 A family operation who welcome you to our home on the beautiful Cornwallis River, with nice views of Acadia University, the town of Wolfville and Acadian Dykelands. (UPDATED: March 1, 2021 JBS)

 

Apple

Apple Picking Tips, Recipes and Information

Apples ripen from the outside of the tree towards the center, so the apples out the outside of the tree will ripen first.  Once they are picked, they stop ripening. Picking apples directly from a tree is easy. Roll the apple upwards off the branch and give a little twist; don't pull straight away from the tree. If two apples are joined together at the top, both will come away at the same time. Don't shake the trees or branches.  If the apple you are trying to pick drops, (or others on the tree) go ahead and pick it up. They're perfectly fine! But do wash them before you eat them! More info: How to tell when apples are ripe

• Once picked, don't throw the apples into the baskets, place them in gently, or they will bruise and go bad more quickly.
• Don't wash apples until just before using to prevent spoilage.
• For an explanation of why apple slices turn brown and how to stop it, see this page!
• Keep apples cool after picking to increase shelf life.  A cool basement is ideal, but the fruit/vegetable drawer of a refrigerator will work, too.  A refrigerator is fine for small quantities of apples. Boxed apples need to be kept in a cool, dark spot where they won't freeze. Freezing ruptures all of an apple's cells, turning it into one large bruise overnight. The usual solution is to store apples in a root cellar. But root cellars often have potatoes in them: apples and potatoes should never be stored in the same room because, as they age, potatoes release an otherwise ethylene gas, which makes apples spoil faster. If you can keep the gas away from your apples, they will keep just fine. Just don't store them right next to potatoes.
  Prevent contact between apples stored for the winter by wrapping them individually in sheets of newspaper. The easiest way to do this is to unfold a section of newspaper all the way and tear it into quarters. Then stack the wrapped apples. See more here: How to store apples at home
• Apples don't improve or "ripen" after being picked - this is an urban myth - see this page for the truth - with references!

Which apple variety is best?

There are tens of thousands of varieties of apples, developed over centuries. They vary in sugar, acoidity, flavors, storing, crispness and many other attributes. See our guides to apple varieties:

• Summary table of many apple varieties and their characteristics
• Detailed descriptions of each apple variety with detailed characteristics
• Apple varieties, sorted by the order in which they typically ripe
• Apple varieties that don't turn brown when they are cut
• Why are some apples brown or spotted inside when you first cut them open?

Canning apples - fully illustrated, with step-by-step instructions

• How to make applesauce
• How to make apple butter 
• How to make apple jelly
• How to make apple pie filling (canned)
• How to can apples
• Home canned apple juice

New!As inflation remains high, see this page for reliable (tested) brands of generic canning lids at lower costs, and cost-saving measures for getting fruit and vegetables and home canning.
 If you are having a hard time finding canning lids, I've used these, and they're a great price & ship in 2 days.

Recipes, illustrated with step by step instructions

• Apple pie recipe and directions and illustrated! I can say, with, ahem, no bias at all, that this is the best apple pie recipe in the world! (Alright, I did have an apple strudel in Vienna once at that place listed in Fodors that was REALLY good, but that wasn't a pie, was it? And since this was the recipe my grandmother used, it must be great!)
• How to make applesauce for a single meal (not canning it) with NO special equipment
• Apple cobbler
• Apple crunch - best of all! Moist, low sugar and using oats!
• Apple crisp - ever-popular, low sugar and using oats!
• Apple, blackberry, cherry, and/or peach cobbler
• Apple-blackberry, crumble - a English favorite (or favourite)

Using fresh apples and miscellaneous

• How to stop cut apples from browning
• Apple festivals - find one near you!
• Apple facts
• Apple seeds and cyanide

 

Other Local Farm Products (Honey, Horses, Milk, Meat, Eggs, Etc.)
(NOT pick-your-own, unless they are also listed above)

• Farm markets and roadside stands
• Local Honey Finder
• Local Meat, Milk and Eggs
• Venues: Farms, Wineries, Orchards for your event, wedding or party
• Easter egg hunts
• Children"s consignment sales
• Fruit and vegetable festivals
• Winery tours and wine tastings
• Horse rides, stables, lessons, trails
• Maple Syrup farms and sugarworks
• Bed & Breakfasts on Farms, Wineries, Ranches and Orchards
• Pumpkin patches
• Corn mazes
• Zombie Paintball venues
• Christmas Tree Farms & lots
• Environmental resources
• Consumer fraud information
• Wholesale food sources
• Resources for Farmers