Red Apple Farm

In season, Red Apple Farm brings a wonderful assortment of apples to Lexington's Farmers Market on Tuesday afternoons (map).

Possibly, it's all from one tree.
Red Apple's home base, just off Route 2 in rural Phillipston, Massachusetts (map), is even better.

Like many orchards, Red Apple adds a lot of value for family visitors. Attractions include hay rides, barbecue, excellent cider donuts, cider slushies, a farm stand stocked with all sorts of apple and maple goodies, walking trails, and seasonal events.

Their assortment of fruit is really impressive, and they boast an apple tree that bears 108 different apple varieties courtesy of some crafty grafting.

This is a novelty, of course, but on a recent visit in October the apples available for picking went beyond such traditional favorites as McIntosh, Cortland, and Golden Delicious to include the Yellow Newtown Pippin, Rhode Island Greening, and the singular Arkansas Black.

In season, Red Apple is a great source of Macoun, Yellow Tranparent, Baldwin, and Red Gravenstein.

Their pasteurized sweet cider is top notch (and freezes well: I've enjoyed it in June).

I do not begrudge any farmer who finds clever gimmicks and gegaws to bring in the crowds and stay in business, but I appreciate how at this orchard the apples never seem to be upstaged.

Not from here? My sympathies! especially this time of year. But Red Apple will ship their apples to you.

Some of Red Apple's hand-painted signage is previously posted here and here.

Lexington's farmers market ends by Halloween but the Phillipston store is open through early December.