Orchard Updates

Hours and Varieties

The Apple Barn is open every day from noon until 6 p.m. Apple supply and selection is still somewhat limited but the following varieties may be available while supplies last:

• Apples
  • Duchess
  • Gala
  • Honeycrisp
  • Lodi
  • McIntosh
  • Melba
  • Milton
  • Paula Red
  • Redfree
  • Wealthy
• Pears
  • Lincoln Pear
  • Parker Pear
  • Note: Moonglow pears ripen later around the beginning of October
• Cider
  • This week's pressing occurred on Wednesday, September 4th and consists of mainly Lodi and Melba varieties. You can find gallons, half gallons, and pints of cider at many of our markets and at the Apple Barn while supplies last.

Goats

Our goat pen is currently under construction and as a result our goats -- Babette, Penny, and Pippa -- are staying elsewhere in their summer home a little bit longer. The goats will not be at the barn this weekend, but they should return in about a week!

Markets

You can find us at the following markets listed below this week.

Saturday

• Dane County Farmers' Market (6:15 am – 1:45 pm)
• Greendale Downtown Market (8-Noon)

Sunday

• Shorewood Farmers Market (9:30-1:00)

Thursday

• Lake Geneva Farmers Market (8:00-1:00)

• Burlington Farmers Market (3:00-7:00)

Check out our Markets page for more details.

Hours and Varieties

The Apple Barn is now open every day from noon until 6 p.m. starting Saturday, August 31st. Apple supply and selection is still somewhat limited but the following varieties may be available while supplies last:

• Apples
  • Duchess
  • Lodi
  • Melba
  • Milton
  • Paula Red
  • Redfree
  • Wealthy
• Pears
  • Lincoln Pear
  • Note: Moonglow pears ripen later around the beginning of October

Goats

Our goat pen is currently under construction and as a result our goats -- Babette, Penny, and Pippa -- are staying elsewhere in their summer home a little bit longer. The goats will not be at the barn this weekend, but they should return in about two weeks time!

Markets

You can find us at the following markets listed below this week.

Saturday

• Dane County Farmers' Market (6:15 am – 1:45 pm)
• Greendale Downtown Market (8-Noon)

Sunday

• Shorewood Farmers Market (9:30-1:00)

Thursday

• Lake Geneva Farmers Market (8:00-1:00)

• Burlington Farmers Market (3:00-7:00)

Check out our Markets page for more details.

August is here, and our apple harvest begins with Lodi and Melba apples. While our Apple Barn in Rochester is closed until Labor Day when more varieties will be available, you can find us at these markets (and potentially a few more soon) this month:

• Waterford: Mondays 5-8 PM
• Burlington: Thursdays 3-7 PM
• Dane County: Saturdays 6 AM-1 PM
• Greendale Downtown: Saturdays 8 AM-12 PM
• Shorewood: Sundays 9:30 AM-1 PM

Can't make it to a market? Contact us for alternatives. We're excited for the fall season ahead!

The very first round of Lodi apples are ready, and a small picking yesterday yielded a small batch of apples to kick off the season. We are not open at the Apple Barn in Rochester until Labor Day, but we will be at a number of markets starting this weekend with the Dane County Farmers Market in Madison.

We will post more extensively about the start of the season and the markets where you can fund us early next week as we continue to pick and assess the crop.

The apple trees are in full bloom, and the orchard is abuzz with hardworking pollinators! Despite some freeze damage in late April, we remain optimistic that the cold snap served as a bit of natural thinning rather than a major crop disruption. It's still early, but at this stage we are hoping for a good harvest.

As we prepare for the summer and fall seasons, there's plenty to keep us busy in the orchard. Stay tuned for more updates as we work toward the start of the apple season in the late summer!

We will be open and selling cider at the Apple Barn in Rochester this Saturday (March 30) from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. The cider sign will be up at the driveway and you can stop by. If we happen to run out during the day, we will post an update here.

This cider was pressed on Friday (the 29th) and is the second test batch of cider from our restored press. This is probably the last pressing we'll do with the remainder of last year's cider apples, but the process is working well and we are ready for the fall!

Sunday 12:00 PM Cider update

We are nearly out of the cider pressed this week after only an hour and we are so incredibly grateful for everyone's enthusiasm and support. We are hoping to be able to do one more pressing this spring and we will keep you posted. If you would like to provide your contact information at the following form, we can let you know directly if another pressing will occur: https://forms.gle/zZTLqXMQeUfBcaGR7

Rebuilding and restoring our ability to press cider was the last phase of recovery after the fire at our barn in 2021. The barn itself was completed last year, and we were incredibly grateful for the first nearly normal season since 2020 even though cider was still on the horizon.

We have just completed the last steps required for full pressing operation, and we are testing the equipment with some small pressings of apples from last year. We are getting some cider at last! It is tasting good to us after the long period without, and it is exciting to see juice flowing again.

Open for one day on Sunday, March 10th

For people who are interested in a taste of this cider as Spring approaches we will have a limited number of half gallons available at the Apple Barn on Sunday March 10th from 11am to 4pm.

The cider sign will be up at the driveway and you can stop by. If we happen to run out during the day, we will post an update here.

Closing Regular Hours for 2023

Our 2023 apple sales at the Apple Barn in Rochester ended Friday, Nov 17. Due to a smaller harvest this year, our supply of apples ran out quite a bit earlier than usual.

Thanks to everyone for a memorable season and for navigating the nearby road construction to come and visit during the fall.

Stay tuned here on our website and/or Facebook page for off-season updates and plans for next year. Your support means the world to us -- see you in the next harvest!

Hours and Varieties

The Apple Barn is open every day from noon until 5 p.m.

This 2023 season produced a lighter crop than usual and our supply of harvested apples will be exhausted much earlier than a normal year. As of today, it looks like we have enough apples to remain open until the end of the week (through Friday, November 17) but will likely close regular hours at the Apple Barn around that time.

The following varieties may be available currently depending on supply:

• Apples
  • Black Willow Twig
  • Golden Russet
  • Ida Red
  • Melba
  • Red Delicious
  • Snow
  • Tolman Sweet
  • Winesap
• Pears
  • Bosc

Road Construction Update

The road to the orchard (Highway D / Washington Ave.) is under construction, but it is open for driving if you come from the east (through Rochester). When driving through Rochester you will see barricades by the post office, but it is possible (and encouraged) to drive around them.

Markets

Many of the markets we attend are over for the season. You can find us at the following markets listed below this week.

Saturday

• Dane County Farmers' Market (6:15 am – 1:45 pm)

Thursday

• Indoor Burlington Farmers Market (3:00-7:00)

Check out our Markets page for more details.

Hours and Varieties

The Apple Barn is open every day from noon until 5 p.m in November.  The following varieties may be available depending on supply:

• Apples
  • Black Willow Twig
  • Golden Delicious
  • Golden Russet
  • Ida Red
  • Jonathan
  • Melba
  • Red Delicious
  • Snow
  • Tolman Sweet
  • Winesap

Road Construction Update

The road to the orchard (Highway D / Washington Ave.) is under construction, but it is open for driving if you come from the east (through Rochester). When driving through Rochester you will see barricades by the post office, but it is possible (and encouraged) to drive around them.

Markets

Many of the markets we attend are over for the season. You can find us at the following markets listed below this week.

Saturday

• Dane County Farmers' Market (6:15 am – 1:45 pm)

Thursday

• Indoor Burlington Farmers Market (3:00-7:00)

Check out our Markets page for more details.