| |
Almost
100 Varieties of Apples Growing on One Farm and Some Trees
are 100+ Years Old
The eighth generation is now operating the 96 acres that comprises
Mackey's Orchard. Mackey's Orchard has been in the same family
for 100 years or more and is a recipient of the New Jersey
Century Award. Although 2001 will be the first year that Mackey's
will offer agricultural education sessions, the family has
offered farm tours since the late 1980's. Some of the commodities
grown on the farm include: apples, plums, pears, peaches,
nectarines, pumpkins, and sweet and sour cherries. During
the hayride, students will travel up the hill to the 40-acre
orchard where they will see almost 100 varieties of apple
trees, ranging from the newest varieties of dwarf trees to
those dating back over 100 years. Get a first-hand look at
how apples are harvested, washed and graded; then take a walk
through the cider press area to see how the fruit is made
into fresh apple cider. Mackey's grows, picks, peels and slices
the fruit, then transforms it into homemade pies, cakes, dumplings
and donuts in their on-site bakery. You can witness the steps
taken during this culinary transformation. Four generations
ago, Mackey's used their large barn for dairy cows. Now the
old dairy barn has been remodeled into a retail farm market,
where students have the opportunity to learn retail merchandising
and customer service.
|
|
