VERSAILLES, Ky. — Fall is fast approaching and in Kentucky, that means pick-your-own-apple season is upon us. That was clear this weekend at Eckert’s Orchard.
What You Need To Know
- It’s the start of the apple harvesting season at Eckert’s Orchard in Versailles
- This past weekend was pick-your-own honey crisp apple weekend
- Megan Fields is the general manager and long-time member of the orchard farm
- Apple orchards around the state are bracing for more business as fall approaches
In her tenth season with the Eckert’s Orchard farm, Megan Fields spent her Labor Day with families visiting for pick-your-own apple weekend.
She said Labor Day is the general time apples in Kentucky are ripe, signaling the start of the apple-picking-season for the family-owned farm.
With several options such as Jonathan, Evercrisp and more becoming available to pick in the next few weeks, Monday was the last chance to hand-pick honey crisps directly from the branch.
Fields and her team worked to help families make the most of their day-off. She said she enjoys helping people connect with the environment.
“We just love to see families come out and kind of check-out of technology and be on the farm for a little bit,” Fields said. “I grew up on a farm, so I know how special it is and it’s fun to get to the farm today, but I think every guest that walks through our door is special.”
Eckert’s orchard offers a variety of farm-themed family-fun, like its 90-foot tall slide, a haystack pyramid and several playground sets.
Megan Severe and her family said the best part of Eckert’s was the tractor-pull to the orchard.
“This is our first time, and the cool part I think they enjoyed was riding out,” Severe said.
She and her daughters shared peach slushies after riding the multi-passenger tractor pull to the apple orchard.
The honey crisp variety of apples is known for its larger cells that hold more moisture when biting into the apple, according to Stemilt Online.
Fields said the fruit is known for its unique flavor.
“The honey crisp apple variety is just a very large sweet-tart apple and everybody loves that kind of mixture of sweet and tart. It’s just been a popular apple over the years,” she said.
If you missed your chance to pick them yourself, the honey crisp apple will remain available for purchase in-store at the Versailles location throughout the harvesting season.
This weekend was also teacher appreciation weekend, where school staff received discounted services and a $5 gift card.
Eckert’s is gearing up for fall festivities like its corn maze and is currently offering tickets for its bonfire site rental that will begin Sept. 16.