NEWARK, N.Y. — The Wayne County Apple Tasting Tour is celebrating its 25th year of fresh apples, hay rides and family fun. The tour begins Friday and includes more than a dozen fruit farms, wineries and cideries.
Wayne County is the number one apple producing county in New York state. Family-owned Maple Ridge Fruit Farm in Newark has been growing and harvesting apples since 1906.
Gary and Barb Wells are so proud of their 100-acre fruit farm on the rolling hills of Newark.
“The farm has been in Barb’s family for more than 100 years,” said Gary Wells, owner of the The Apple Shed & Maple Ridge Fruit Farm. “We started here in 1970. Those are the Bristol Hills. I can see a lot from the farm.”
This family-owned fruit farm is one of 12 stops on the Wayne County Apple Tasting Tour. They grow some 25 varieties of apples.
“With the drought, the apples were really small early on but because of the late rains some of the varieties have really sized up. These are Golden Delicious that will go to Mott’s. They sized up really nice and the quality is really good, “said Gary Wells. “The trend right now is Gala, Fuji and Honey Crisp. Those are three main ones they want.”
Fruit farming is a tough job. Mother Nature doesn’t always cooperate, but for this lifetime career farmer who’s been married for 55 years, there is nothing better.
“I told my wife I was going to go until 90 and she was begging me to retire because we’re both be 76 this year. But I changed my opinion and might retire at 89,” laughed Wells.
Wayne County Tourism is all about sharing the apple farm life with everyone. The apple tour is a great way to visit the farms, cideries and wineries.
“When you go on the apple tour you meet the local farmers,” said Christine Worth, director of tourism at Wayne County Tourism. “We are so about shopping local and going to our local farms is a perfect fit for that. As you go to each farm market you can try apples and some of them may have treats to try and you’ll see the heart of Wayne County, which is the apple. “
The Wayne County Apple Tasting Tour is October 7-10 but there are several events happening at all the farms throughout the month.
The Wayne County Apple Tasting Tour includes an online passport with trivia in a downloadable app. Collect a letter at all 12 stops on the tour, solve the word jumble and you could win the grand prize gift basket.
