It's apple season: Here are four places in North Central Mass. where you can pick your own

It's hard to believe but it's already time for one of Greater Gardner's favorite late-summer activities - picking your own apples at local farms.

After challenging weather conditions last year, especially a late freeze in May, resulted in a smaller harvest, local farmers are reporting that with Mother Nature's cooperation, this season's harvest is expected to be a plentiful one.

"So far, it's been one of our best blueberry and sunflower seasons," said Al Rose, who, along with wife, Nancy, owns the Red Apple Farm in Phillipston. "Our pumpkins are already starting to turn orange with a great set in the field. These recent cold nights have helped color up all the apples as well, and the weekly rains this summer have sized up the apples. We are blessed to have a full crop of apples this year."

Here's a handy guide to some of the best local orchards to take the family and enjoy an afternoon of apple-picking this season.

Red Apple Farm - Phillipston

Even though apple season has already begun with early-summer apples, the family-owned Red Apple Farm traditionally kicks off its celebration of all things apple on Labor Day weekend.

"Each year, on all three days we host our Appleseed Country Fair to celebrate and rejoice in the new season," said Rose. "I've always considered the event to be a time when summer and fall come together and have a good time! Food, fun, and music all weekend long."

Apples ripe for picking will be Ginger Gold, Macs, Red Gravenstein, and Paula Red, according to Rose.

In addition to pick-your-own apples, this year's fair will feature over 40 vendors, live music, hayrides, facepainting, and pumpkins. A new addition to the event this season is a sheep dog herding demonstration on each day.

Proceeds from the event will go to support the Phillipston and Athol Firefighters Association.

Pease Orchard - Templeton

The third-generation Pease Orchard farm at 11 Phillipston Rd. at Brooks Village in Templeton has been a favorite spot for Greater Gardner apple-picking for over 100 years.

The farm's apple season will kick off on Labor Day weekend.

Owner Dave Pease said he is optimistic about this season's apple crop after last year's devastating freezing temperatures last year.

"We had a double whammy," he said. "It went down to about 19-below out here in February, and that knocked out all of our peaches. Then on May 18, the temperature ended up going down to 26 degrees for about seven hours, and that pretty much ruined the apple crop."

Pease said he is looking forward to hosting families looking to pick their own apples.

"We're looking to really bounce back," he said.

As a smaller local operation, the farm limited the number of people it allowed to pick their own apples at any one time, Pease added.

Over 27 varieties of apples will also be available at the Apple Shed, the family’s farm stand, Pease said.

Sholan Farms - Leominster

There will be no pick-your-own apples at Sholan Farms in Leominster after the area experienced some freezing weather earlier in the season, according to Joanne DiNardo, president of the Friends of Sholan Farms, which operates the city-owned farm.

"We lost the top half of the orchard to the hard freeze on April 25 - the buds all got killed off, so we won't be having you-pick this year," DiNardo said.

Apples will be available at the farm stand, which will be opening on Sept. 4, she added.

"We still have a lot of the apples, and we will be bringing in apples from nearby farms," DiNardo said. "We still have apples, it's just they're not in areas of the farm where we can send people out to pick them."

Among the 37 apple varieties available at the farm during September are Pioneer Mac, Redcort, McIntosh, and Royal Cortland.

The 169-acre farm, is located at 1125 Pleasant St. and is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Lanni Orchards - Lunenburg

Families will once again be able to pick their own apples at Lanni Orchards this season. The family-owned Lunenburg farm was forced to cancel the practice last year after too many trees were destroyed by the late season freeze.

The farm's apple season will begin in mid-September, according to Norma Tibbetts, an employee at the farm.

"Everything is looking really good so far," Tibbetts said, who added that visitors have been enjoying picking their own blueberries, blackberries, and peaches over the past few weeks at the farm. "They did pick a few apples last week, and they're looking good."

The orchard, which has been in operation for 60 years at 294 Chase Rd., is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Hollis Hills Farm - Fitchburg

Visitors have already begun picking their own Paula Red apples at Hollis Hills Farm in Fitchburg.

Marshall Macintosh apple will become available over the Labor Day weekend, according to Allison Lattanzy, manager of the farm, who said more varieties, including Ultima Gala and Honeycrisp, would be ready for picking over the next several weeks.

"We have 11 different varieties and each of them are spaced out over the next six weeks or so, depending on how they ripen," she said. "We don't have a particularly heavy crop, but I think we'll still have plenty to meet the you-pick needs."

A chart on the farm’s website lists when certain apple varieties will be available for picking this season, which will continue through the end of October. Visitors are urged to call the farm prior to arriving for up-to-date picking conditions.

Hollis Hills Farm opens each day at 9:00 a.m.

This article originally appeared on Gardner News: It's apple season: Here are four places in North Central Mass. where you can pick your own