A collection of 11 pick-your-own farms in Central Virginia, operating as the Blue Ridge Fruit Loop, are offering some of the state’s freshest fruits available between May and December.
The Fruit Loop offers a variety of seasonal fruits, including Asian pears, blackberries, blueberries, cherries and plums. Some participating farms also offer their own sweet cider and fruit jams and jellies.
“We started as a pick-your-own blackberry farm back in 1993,” explained Kimberly Allen Pugh of Hill Top Berry Farm & Winery in Nelson County. “By 1998, we were also a winery specializing in true-to-the-fruit wines.”
Another stop on the Fruit Loop is Morris Orchard in Amherst County. The family-owned farm was established in the 1830s and has been growing apples commercially since the 1890s. Visitors also can pick peaches, blueberries and, later in the fall, pumpkins. In December, the farm offers fresh Christmas trees.
Morris Orchard also specializes in cider. “We are the area’s only commercial cidery producing sweet cider both on the wholesale and retail levels for the Central Virginia area,” noted owner Scott Barnes.
Other farms on the Fruit Loop are Blue Ridge Fruit Co., Critzer Family Farm, Dickie Brothers Orchard, Drumheller’s Orchard, Fitzgerald’s Orchard, Saunders Brothers, Seamans’ Orchard and Silver Creek and Seamans’ Orchards. For more information, visitblueridgefruitloop.net.
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