Jessica B.
Yelp
Just went yesterday with a friend & am planning to go back with hubby in a week or so. We didn't opt for the hayride, as we had other plans, but also it was chock full of kids-- and being a teacher, I don't like spending my free time around children.
There was a wonderful and dizzying array of apples, as well as a fair variety of pumpkins and other local odds and ends (like preserves, pickles, mixes, salsas, and so on). I also managed to get a small basket of the last of the season's white peaches-- which weren't as flavorful as I would have liked because they may have been stored for a little bit (they weren't mealy and were very crisp, but didn't have that tang fresh off the tree peaches have) but will make very nice additions to chutney or fruit salsa.
The apples were an excellent price-- where other farms charge per pound, Minard charges per bag regardless of weight. All the apples were excellent quality, except the a red variety (Cortland I believe or perhaps a mac) were a bit mealy-- but as I understand it the apples ripened a month earlier than scheduled this year, so I might've gotten a few that have been in storage for a few weeks. Nonetheless, they all are wonderfully tart and sweet.
The cider donuts are honestly the best I've had-- ever. My only issues are, again, child-related. My first apple choices are granny smith & honeycrisp. Of course a family was solidly stationed at these bins, which happened to be adjacent. While a man filled his bag with honeycrisp and granny smith, he was COMPLETELY oblivious to his son reaching into the honeycrisp bin, picking up the best, largest apple, and flinging it with all his strength against the far end of the bin. The little blighter bruised about half a dozen apples until his father became aware NOT that his son was damaging the Farm's produce, but that I was waiting impatiently and ready to whack an apple at this little fruit molester. Honeycrisp is a large apple, but it bruises so easily. It's also become a rather pricey apple, and some places ask upwards of $4 a pound. I'm surprised that the folks running the counter, with a birdseye view, didn't say something. But, there were mostly teens at the counters and it was VERY busy.
Hiighly recommend. Just, if you're planning a trip with your kids-- please, for the sake of other customers, don't allow your kids to damage the produce unless you plan on buying what your kids destroy.