Fall is the time to catch up on all the apples you’ve missed over the year-it’s your last-minute cram session before flu season hits (if, that is, you follow sage advice). All it takes is a short drive toward Bar Mills-10 minutes outside Gorham-following the signs: “Snell’s Farm this way.”
Once you’ve arrived, you’ll find a charming orchard with a variety of apples, all of which come into season at different times. The trees are easy to tell apart, labeled by different colors of ribbon. During the early fall, look for McIntosh, Cortland or Macoun breeds. The Cortland is the best for baking fresh apple pie, and the McIntosh will satisfy your cravings for sour. As fall continues, the winter apples-Rome, Red Delicious and Golden Delicious-begin to ripen.
The apples are most plentiful at the tops of the trees, so the owners provide ladders for people to climb. If a ladder seems too easy, there’s always the option of swinging from the branches. Standing tall in the orchards, you can see the farm’s huge flower garden, which adds even more color to the autumn scene.
Once you’ve picked your fill, you carry your overflowing bags (provided by the farm) to a small stand, where a friendly worker weighs the packages, charging by the pound. The service is quick and always done with a smile.
If you don’t want to pick your own but still want to enjoy hand-picked Maine apples, there are plenty of pre-picked bags in the farm’s small store, along with fresh apple cider in half and whole gallons, and a variety of homegrown vegetables including peppers, broccoli and even potatoes all sold at affordable prices.
The farm is open every day from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., so hop in the car, head for the orchard, put that crisp twenty dollar bill toward fresh produce and save big on winter health care costs.