Pick Your Own – Closed Until Spring 2024

Welcome to 2024 Off Season
Mackintosh Fruit Farm!

 

Please get on our email list and bookmark the pages you need to keep informed of what’s happening here.

To Make an Appointment to purchase apples or books:

 

  • Send an email the day before to lori at mackintoshfruitfarm.com
  • Include what kind of apples, books, coloring books and quantity of each. 
  • Also note at least 2 times you will be able to pickup at the farm.
  • **All items available while supplies last.
  • We will confirm the pickup time and date with you via EMAIL ONLY.

Thank you for understanding.

Apples Available for Pickup or Shipping

As of 3/8/24: Evercrisp, Crimson Crisp, and Criterion, by the pound, or 25 lb box

Gift boxes of 20 apples to ship – inquire at the market or email directly.

*All varieties while supplies last. Check this page or your email weekly for apples that we still have in stock.*

Books:

Good Night Farm – children’s picture book about our farm

Good Night Farm Coloring Book – companion to the book

Pick Your Own – Closed Until Spring 2024

Yes!

Is there an admission fee?

Yes and no.

In 2023, the admission fees are for the pick your own experience.

Fees are $2 per person. Children that walk on their own are also $2.

People picking will be given a wristband to be admitted into the fields to pick.

Shopping in the market, having lunch, or visiting the author on reading days, is free.

If appointments are required, links will be posted online to prepay the picking fee. If no appointments are required, you can choose how you want to shop (pick your own or not) and pay when you check in at the farm.

Thank you for your understanding as we adapt policies to support our ability to run a pick your own farm. We want as many customers to be able to come and experience the joy of picking your food right from the trees, bushes, garden.

Can we bring our dog?

Absolutely! On a leash.

Please have your dog on a leash as not all of our customers are dog lovers. And, of course, you do have to pick up their poo. Bring your own bags; we have trash cans in the market.

While the dogs can come with you to the farm, they cannot be in the area with you when picking ground crops – strawberries, garden vegetables, and pumpkins. Please leave them at home if you are picking these items or bring a friend to keep the dog out of the picking area. Thank you for your understanding.

One of our customers asked this question on our FB page: 

“Do you allow dogs to your farm just to buy stuff?”

The dogs are welcome to buy whatever they like. They should expect to receive their items in a doggy bag. Just sayin’.

Do you have bathrooms on site?

Yes we do! At the corner of the market building. Ask any staff member to direct you.

Are you growing strawberries this year?

We will grow strawberries this year! Yay – stay tuned via our PYO email newsletter for when we can open the fields.  Sign up here.

Can we eat lunch there?

Yes! At one of our tables in the market or our picnic tables on the patio. We have many yummy breakfast and lunch items as well as baked goods and dessert treats. Our menu is available to order from all day, not just  during lunch hours. You can review our kitchen menu here. 

A few of the items we have available include: Hamburgers, hot dogs, cheeseburgers, pulled pork sandwiches, chicken salad sandwiches, grilled chicken sandwiches, BLTs, quiche, zucchini crust pizza (with cheese, tomatoes, squash), tamales, french fries, rice, cucumber salad, corn on the cob, applesauce, ice cream, sundaes, shakes, pies, and more!

Do you provide containers or wagons to use onsite?

Yes! In some cases we will have you prepurchase a container for the fruit you are picking that day. This helps prevent stealing and keeps our checkout line moving quickly.

We do have wagons on site for folks to use while picking and purchasing. It is a limited number and can be very busy on the weekends. You are welcome to bring your own wagon to use as well. This can be helpful, especially if you have little ones with you and they decide NOT to walk anymore!

Are we open on the 4th of July?

Yes – Pick Your Own and the Market/Café are both open 8 AM to 6 PM on Thursday, July 4, 2024 for Independence Day.

Are we open on Labor Day?

Yes – Pick Your Own and the Market/Café are both open 10 AM to 4 PM on Monday, September 2, 2024 for Labor Day.

Do you have sales or bulk discounts on produce?

We will have specials when we have an abundance of a particular product and usually offer a lower price if you pick your own or if you pick a larger amount, usually 25 pounds or more.

These specials will be announced on the This Week page on our web site, included in our weekly email newsletters, and posted on Facebook. Sign up for weekly updates here.

Do you have bees? Do you sell honey?

Yes, we do have an apiary on the far edge of our farm. We harvest the honey several times a year an sell it unprocessed here in our market.

If you have an allergy to bee stings, be sure to clairfy with our staff where the apiary is in relation to where you will be picking.  There is sometimes more than one location to pick the fruit or vegetable you came for.

 

Do I have to be with my kids at all times?

Yes! Parents are responsible for their children’s actions at all times.  The best way to ensure everyone’s safety is for the parents to be with their children while visiting our farm.

The children may not go into the fields to pick without their parents. They may not play on the playground without parental supervision. They may not be in the market without their parents. Parents may include any adult guardian that came with them to the farm.

No.

Is there an admission fee?

Yes and no.

If ALL of the fields are closed for picking and only the market is open for lunch and purchasing pre-picked items, then admission is free.

Shopping in the market, having lunch, or visiting the author on reading days, is free.

If you are out in the fields, orchard, or garden you must have a wristband to be there.
Fees are $2 per person. Children that walk on their own are also $2.

Thank you for your understanding as we adapt policies to support our ability to run a pick your own farm. We want as many customers to be able to come and experience the joy of picking your food right from the trees, bushes, garden.

Do I need an appointment?

No. Not this year.

Picking is first come, first served. This means when we are picked out of an area it will be closed.

Fields will close when picked out or at the latest 5 PM.

Do you close picking if it rains?

No.

While of course we get rain here, often the surrounding area is getting rain and we are not. Sometimes it’s raining where you live and not here.

Also – we cannot control the weather, so there is no way to know in advance, 100% for sure.

Please wear appropriate clothing when picking if it has rained or expected to rain. In the case that we do close picking for weather (we haven’t yet) – we will cancel the event and refunds will automatically go out.

Are you growing blueberries this year?

No, we will not be growing blueberries this year. Stay tuned via our PYO email newsletter for when we open PYO and other details this season.  Sign up here.

I've been here before, can I go to the field as soon as I arrive?

No.

To ensure the safety of all our customers, we require all of our customers to check in at the UPIC shed where you will be directed where to go based on what’s in season and what you would like to pick.

If an individual or group is expressing disrespectful or unlawful behavior, they will be ask to leave the property. Please help keep our farm a family-friendly place for all of our visitors. Thank you for cooperating and supporting our business.

Can we have a picnic in the fields?

No.

We have plenty of tables in our market area for lunch.

If caught eating in the fields, you will be asked to leave our business immediately. You may be fined by us to cover the cost of what you ate but did not pay for, and any trash left behind or damage done to the fields and fruit. We may also ask you NOT to come back for the remainder of the current season or year.

Please, have respect for our family business that we invite you to for the purpose of picking fresh food for your family by treating our property and staff with respect and paying for all that you pick. This will ensure we can continue to operate as a business without having to charge an admission fee.

Can we climb the tree or shake it to get to the fruit easier?

No. Climbing and shaking causes damage.

We are growing a shorter tree (dwarf tree) to make picking and caring for the trees easier. This also makes them easier to damage with mistreatment. Do NOT climb the trees or shake their limbs. It is a risk for your safety doing so. If caught doing either, we will ask you to leave the property immediately.

You may be fined by us for the cost to replace the tree and the fruit it would have produced. We may also ask you NOT to come back for the remainder of the current season or year.

Please, have respect for our family business that we invite you to for the purpose of picking fresh food for your family by treating our property and staff with respect and paying for all that you pick. This will ensure we can continue to operate as a business without having to charge an admission fee.

Are your baked goods and other items gluten free?

Not usually. Please read all of the labels on prepackaged items or ask a staff person about a specific ingredient. It is up to you to use your common sense (ice cream does have dairy) and to ask questions if you are unsure.

No trespassing.

Please respect our private property and only pick in the areas you are instructed to enter. 

All of our property – the orchard, garden, fields, pond, grounds. buildings, walking trails and roads onsite are privately owned. Only the current areas for picking are open to the public, AFTER checking in and ONLY during our open picking hours.

No grilling, fireworks, incense, or open flames are permitted at any time.

No grilling, fireworks, incense, or open flames are permitted at any time.

No sparklers for the kids.

More Questions, Answers, and Explanations. 

How do I find what I want to pick?

When you check in our staff will provide guidance on whether you need to prepurchase a container and where on the property you will go to pick the item you came for. Even if you have been to our farm in the past, we do not permit you to enter the fields without checking in with our staff first and to receive a wristband.

If an individual or group is expressing disrespectful or unlawful behavior, they will be ask to leave the property. Please help keep our farm a family-friendly place for all of our visitors. Thank you for cooperating and supporting our business.

Do we have to pay for the fruit we taste while picking?

We understand the desire to taste a strawberry or cherry when picking. We ask that you not eat a handful while in the fields. If you wouldn’t walk through a grocery store and eat the food there without paying, the same goes for our farm.

We do have a Tips for Tastes jar at the check out counter where you can add money to cover what you tasted in the fields. It is on the honor system and your contributions help us to keep our prices affordable.

Please keep in mind that the more people take without paying, the higher we will have to make our prices to cover the losses. Help keep our fresh grown fruit affordable for all and pay for what you pick.

Are you an organic farm?

We get this question often. We are not 100% organic but that doesn’t mean that we aren’t careful or safe when it comes to growing food not only for you, our customers, but also for our own family.

We have been as concerned as any other family with children and pets about how to grow tasty food that is free from harmful chemicals while also yielding a good product. With Bill’s experience in the agricultural world, we feel that we have had an opportunity that many ‘newer to farming’ local farmers have not had regarding first hand knowledge in how all of the chemicals (everything IS a chemical after all) synthetic and naturally occurring can help or hinder proper food growth.

Read More Here

Do you spray for weeds and pest control?

If we compare a mild organic orchard pest control program with a harsh conventional program that uses organophosphates and carbamates then I will pick the organic produce every time.

On the other hand, produce that uses some organic pesticides and some of the new fast track reduced risk EPA approved materials, can take advantage of the best of both worlds.

Read More Here

Can we have a family photo session in the fields?

If you’d like to have a photography session on our farm, please contact our photographer, Nancy to schedule a time. Nancy is our preferred vendor, knows our schedule, and property best.  Her phone is 1-540-336-8713.

What should I wear to the farm?

Not your best high heels or a suit. Even flip flops might be a stretch. There is uneven ground and if it has rained recently, there will be mud.

Be prepared to walk from 5-10 minutes each way to the area you may be picking in. It may be dusty, muddy, slick, or full of puddles. Often, the ground is uneven.

Please wear appropriate walking shoes (closed-toe) and comfortable clothing that may get dirty. You may also choose to wear or bring the following:

  • Sunscreen
  • A hat for shade
  • Hiking boots or sneakers
  • Sunglasses
  • Long sleeves for raspberry and blackberry picking (thorns on the bushes)
  • Gloves for raspberry and blackberry picking (thorns on the bushes)

Are there any holes, uneven areas, or poison ivy?

Yes. We do our best to keep the property as safe as possible. However, we are in nature and as such, there are variables we cannot always control. Be aware of the following possibilities and take the necessary precautions:

  • Uneven walk areas
  • Thorns on all raspberry bushes and some blackberry bushes
  • Gopher holes
  • Snakes
  • Deep water areas
  • Rough terrain
  • Stinging or biting insects
  • Poison ivy
  • Not much shade in the fields
  • Electric fence
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