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Welcome to Mead Orchards
Pick-Your-Own
2013

It's Spring, and we're busy on the farm preparing
and planting for the 2013 harvest season.
Strawberries will be ready to pick
in June (actual dates not yet known).

There is no entrance fee. Strawberry, Blueberry, and Cherry pickers will find containers and will pay at the tents in the orchards. For Peaches and Apples, pickers will stop at our farm stand near the barn to pick up containers and get directions, and then drive up into the orchards. You'll pay for your U-Pick items at the farm stand. You may also park and walk -- just keep in mind there are some hills, and fruit can be heavy to carry.

Our Farm Stand is open from Late JULY through OCTOBER, on WEEKENDS ONLY, DURING U-PICK HOURS. Here we have more already-picked fruit and vegetables in season: peaches, pears, plums, berries, and many varieties of apples. Plus vegetables, including  tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, greens, broccoli, cauliflower, corn, eggplant, summer and winter squashes, and pumpkins. In addition, we usually have our own honey, apple cider, tomato sauce, and homemade jams.

The orchards are lovely, with views of the Catskill Mountains, a couple of picnic tables, and of course fragrant trees heavy with fruit that's within easy reach from the ground.

Because ourFarm Stand / U-Pick operation is seasonal and rustic, we have no concession stand, and no running water (bottled water is available), and our bathroom "facilities" are limited: "porta pottys" (with hand-washing). So please be prepared, and SMILE!  And, if you're thinking of bringing a large group, PLEASE call Beth Mead at 845-756-5641 or 845-756-2526 to see about making arrangements ahead of time. Thanks!

Please review our ORCHARD SAFETY and "ETIQUETTE" information below. Thanks.

NOTE: 2013 dates are not yet available.
the 2012 U-PICK season was much earlier than normal, and some items were
not available last year. The 2012 dates still listed below are just to give you an idea.
Keep checking back
updated May 2, 2013

Harvest dates for all items are our best GUESS ahead of time.
U-PICK dates and varieties are subject to change -- influenced by weather, ripening times,
crop size, how soon they are all picked, etc. Schedule will be updated as info changes.

>> 2012 <<
U-Pick Dates

Varieties Available to Pick

MAY 25 - JUNE 17
(17 - Father's Day)


STRAWBERRIES
3 pm to 7 pm, Mon - Fri, AND
10 am to 6 pm,
 Sat & Sun
(until they're gone)

U-PICK changes to WEEKENDS ONLY !


U-Pick
WEEKENDS
ONLY

WEEKENDS, 10 - 6
+ Labor Day & Columbus Day

Dates and varieties subject to change -
call ahead to be sure: 845-756-5641

JUNE 23-24.....


JUNE 30-JULY 1 .....


BLUEBERRIES

BLUEBERRIES;
TART CHERRIES - GONE for this year
(sorry, no sweet cherries this year)

JULY 7-8 .....

JULY 14-15 .....

BLUEBERRIES

BLUEBERRIES

JULY21 .....

Weekend FARM STAND OPENS -Open during U-Pick hours ONLY

PEACHES: Our apologies - NO U-PICK PEACHES this year.
Spring frosts have drastically reduced the crop. There will be Pre-Picked peaches at the Weekend Farm Stand

JULY 21-22 .....

JULY 28-29 .....

BLUEBERRIES

BLUEBERRIES

AUG 4-5.....

AUG 11-12 .....

AUG 18-19 .....

AUG 25-26 .....

BLUEBERRIES; APPLES: Ginger Gold, Sansa

BLUEBERRIES, APPLES: Sansa

BLUEBERRIES, APPLES: Gala, McIntosh

APPLES: Gala, McIntosh

SEP 1-2-3 .....
Labor Day Weekend

APPLES: Cortland, Gala

SEP 8-9 .....

APPLES: Cortland, Fuji, Shizuka

SEP 15-16 .....

APPLES: Fuji, Golden Delicious, Macoun, Senshu, Shizuka; 
PUMPKINS

SEP 22-23 .....

APPLES: Fuji, Gala, Golden Delicious, Macoun, Northern Spy, Shizuka
PUMPKINS              

SEP 29-30 .....

APPLES: Gala, Golden Delicious, Mutsu ,Northern Spy
PUMPKINS    

OCT 6-7-8 .....
Columbus Day Weekend

APPLES: Golden Delicious, Mutsu, Cameo (?)
PUMPKINS

OCT 13-14 .....

APPLES: Cameo, Mutsu, Rome, Stayman-Winesap
PUMPKINS

OCT 20-21 .....

APPLES: Rome
PUMPKINS

OCT 27-28 .....

U-PICK PUMPKINS -- FARM STAND

ORCHARD ETIQUETTE: As you're in our orchards and vegetable gardens, please keep in mind that our berries, fruit trees, and vegetable plots are a long term investment for us -- our livelihood! We've nursed our crops through frosts (ouch), wind, rainfall variations, hail (ouch, ouch!), drought and other assorted problems and pests in order to bring you the highest quality food we can. So, while you're enjoying the fruit of our labor, please respect our farm and the trees... the way you'd want us to respect your garden, yard and plantings!

Almost all our trees are semi-dwarf or dwarf trees.  PLEASE! No climbing the trees! Period! Also, we do NOT allow picking tools (except your hands). There's plenty of delicious fruit within easy reach from the ground. Thanks!
 

And for Safety's Sake--yours and others-- PLEASE:

- ALWAYS Drive  S-L-O-W-L-Y ! There are other pickers and children on foot, and other vehicles on the roads. Plus, our driving "roads" (used mostly by tractors and other farm vehicles) are pretty rough and narrow, with some 2-way traffic sections, "blind" intersections and turns. So please pay attention as you drive.

- Watch your step and wear shoes and clothes suitable for the "un-manicured" outdoors and the weather. As a working farm we have tractor ruts, holes, rocks and roots, so please take care. Also beware of the occasional patch of poison ivy.

- Keep the kids under control for their safety. PLEASE - No climbing, riding bikes, throwing stuff ... and running can be hazardous! There are other cars and sometimes farm vehicles moving through the orchard, as well as uneven ground with occasional ruts, holes (usually from varmints), roots and rocks. We want everyone to enjoy their picking experience, and be safe at the same time!

- Please leave the pets at home, or keep them leashed. Thanks.

- Please don't leave litter, and PLEASE--no smoking!

Thanks! Come visit us soon!

Mead Orchards LLC
Mailing address: 15 Scism Rd, Tivoli NY 12583
Phone: 845-756-5641 -- Fax: 845-756-4008