Photo: Jared Brosnan/WBZ Newsradio
PEABODY (WBZ NewsRadio) — Fall is right around the corner, and Peabody’s Brooksby Farm is giving visitors an early taste of apple picking season while it’s still summer.
Apple picking usually starts in September and lasts through October, but farm Manager JoAnne Roden said visitors can get their hands on fresh apples straight from the orchard. Although, it’s the apples part of their fall harvest, like Galas, that are worth waiting for, she said.
It takes about a whole year to get these trees in shape for picking.
“We start in the winter with our pruning, and then we go into apple blossom in May, taking care of the apple trees right through the summer, and then we're into harvest for September and October,” she said.
The farm also grows other produce depending on what is in season, such as peaches, cantaloupe, cherries, peppers and squash. They use some of these raw ingredients to load up their bakery with muffins, donuts and other treats.
Whether visitors are looking to pick their own fruit, have fun with the barnyard animals or hop on a hayride, Roden said the acreage has something for everyone – including an emu that draws in crowds of people who aren’t just from Massachusetts.
“We get a lot of out-of-state visitors that find us, which is kind of nice as well,” she said.
Massachusetts currently has over 80 farms where people can pick their own apples.
WBZ NewsRadio's Jared Brosnan (@JaredBrosnanWBZ) reports.