About Our Apple Orchard

Our Varieties

Our apples are produced completely free of synthetic chemicals and are available daily pre-picked or as pick-your-own. We have 20 varieties of apples. Just a note, although we have Honeycrisp, we have varieties with MUCH MORE FLAVOR that are not your standard “store varieties”. 

Duchess of Oldenburg  – 1800’s Russian variety. Superb pie apple.

Viking – Very aromatic, tart apple. Excellent fresh eating or cooking. Dark red skin with white flesh.

Redfree  – Sweet, crisp, firm. Excellent fresh eating and sauce apple.

Zestar  – Sweet/tart, crisp, juicy. Excellent early season apple for those who like Honeycrisp.

Beacon  – Tart, firm apple very suitable for fresh eating or baking. Beautiful dark red apple. Cross between a Wealthy and Malinda. One of the first releases of the University of Minnesota.

Wealthy  – Wonderfully crisp, juicy, refreshing. Excellent fresh eating or sauce. Originated in 1868 and was the first apple to thrive in Minnesota after years of trials by a determined private citizen! Became a cornerstone of the University of Minnesota’s breeding program.

William’s Pride

Dandee Red 

MID-LATE SEPTEMBER

Haralson  – Superb pie apple! This is also a great fresh eating apple if you like tart. Firm, crisp apple that is one of Lisa’s favorites! This is a 1913 release from the University of Minnesota. It is thought to be a cross of the Wealthy and Malinda. Sound familiar to the Beacon? 😊

Honeycrisp  – Known for it’s crispiness! Excellent dessert apple. The cell size is twice the size of other apples giving it that crispiness. It is a popular commercial variety because of it’s crispiness and storage…but there are far more flavorful varieties. 🙂

McIntosh  – Aromatic, old time favorite. Developed in Quebec in 1798 and there are now many strains. Wonderful all-purpose apple. Cooks down very well. These are amazing fresh eating apples when they are freshly picked!

Liberty  – Crisp, sweet juicy apple best eaten fresh, but suitable for cooking. Developed at Purdue, a cross between the Macoun and a Purdue apple.

Galarina  – Very sweet Gala-type apple.

Cortland  – Superb fresh eating and pie apple. Holds it’s shape in pies. McIntosh x Ben Davis cross originated in Geneva, New York released in 1898.

Freedom  – Sweet, firm, crisp. A great fresh eating and sauce apple. Stores well.

*Special note – Cortlands and McIntosh are highly susceptible to apple scab and are tough to find grown without the contact-burn fungicides that are typically used in orchards. We are quite proud to be offering all of our varieties grown completely free of synthetic or “organic approved” fungicides.

EARLY/MID-OCTOBER

Spartan – Crisp, sprightly dark red apple. A favorite of those who know it! Excellent dessert apple, but can also be used in cooking. Originated in British Columbia in 1936 and is a McIntosh x Newtown Pippin cross. One of Lisa’s favorites!

Macoun  – Medium – sized aromatic apple best eaten fresh. Another of Lisa’s favorites! Delicious! Originated in 1909 in Geneva, New York and is a McIntosh x Jersey Black cross.

Regent  – Outstanding all purpose apple. Crisp, sprightly flavor. Excellent eaten fresh and holds it’s shape well in pies. Popular sauce apple.

Enterprise – Beautiful dark red apple. Extremely dense texture. Excellent all-purpose and a good storage apple.

Varieties being established or re-established for future years:

*Wolf River
*Golden Russet
*Sweet Sixteen
*Snowsweet
*Winecrisp