Maine-ly Apples

Happy Holidays

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 23:30:29 GMT

We are getting ready for the true end to our 2009 season when we press our last apple into cider on December 22nd. We made cider for a lot of folks this season; one of our customers was Winterport Winery. Their Winter Gold is made from our cider. Make sure to give it a try.

We want to wish all our customers a very Happy Holidays and all the best for the New Year. Special best wishes to any gardeners or farmers and with hopes of a better growing season next summer.

Make sure to visit our web site for a few photos from earlier this month taken during our first snowfall.

Raffle Winners

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 18:44:29 GMT

The winners of our 2009 drawing are as follows:

Linda Reynolds of Prospect - turkey & cider

Justin Grant of Plymouth - bushel apples & cider

Rebecca Pelkey of Union - ½ bushel apples & cider

Thanks again to everyone who entered our raffle. Please make sure to enter again next year.

The End again

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 11:44:29 GMT

Thanks again to all our customers for your patronage and support this season. Even though we are closed we will continue to make cider until Christmas. If you need some for the holidays please contact us. We have also added a few end of the season photos to our web site. Please visit www.mainelyapples.com to view them.

The End

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 00:07:29 GMT

Maine-ly Apples has closed for the 2009 season. Thanks to all of our customers for your patronage and your support.

The End is Nigh

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:38:29 GMT

We have now ended pick your own for the season. Our farmstand will be open on Columbus day (10/12) from 10-5. Then we will be closed for the season. Our cider is all sold out and the apple selection is at a minimum. If you have any questions please call us at 234-2043.

Closing time

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 02:01:29 GMT

Maine-ly Apples will be closing for the 2009 season on Monday, October 12. Please come visit us before this season comes to an end.

Important Pick Your Own Announcement

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:05:29 GMT

Due to weather related crop damage we will be unable to offer pick you own on Empire, Golden Delicious, or Red Delicious this year. We will have pick your own on Spencer starting Friday, October 2 and starting Friday, October 9 there will be a limited amount of pick your own on Idareds.

We hope to have our full variety range open for pick your own next season. Thank you for understanding.

Family Fun

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 00:25:29 GMT

At Maine-ly Apples we consider ourselves a fun, family destination. At our homepage we have posted some recent pictures of a few of our friendly families out enjoying the orchard. We love when people send us pictures of their recent outing here in Dixmont. Just email your favorite shot to our address: info@mainelyapples.com and we will post it for you.

Maine Apple Sunday (again)

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 01:39:29 GMT

Thank you very much to everyone who came to Maine Apple Sunday. We had a record turnout and hope everyone had a good time.

We would like to thank everyone who contributed to the Dixmont Rescue BBQ fundraiser. It was very successful for them.

We also had some interesting demonstrations, including one of an old fashioned, hand cider press by Mike and Judy Dann. Mike's father bought the press new in the 1930s. A big thank you to them for bringing it to our orchard.

Please visit our web site for photos from the day.

Maine Apple Sunday

Mon, 07 Sep 2009 01:18:29 GMT

Please join us this year for Maine Apple Sunday, September 13.

Maine Apple Sunday is an annual event promoted by the Maine Pomological Society, of which we are members. This year we plan to make it our biggest and best! We will be offering free samples of apples and cider, as well as free pens, coloring sheets for kids, and free chances to enter our annual Turkey Drawing. We will also be opening up our McIntosh and Cortland varieties for pick-your-own starting at 10am. We hope to see you this Maine Apple Sunday. Come and make new memories.

Schedule of Events:

10am - 5pm: Pick-Your-Own and Farmstand open

11am: Hamburger and Hot Dog Lunch begins; provided by the Dixmont Rescue (all proceeds to benefit their organization)

11am and 1pm: Antique Hand Cider Press demonstration (bring your camera!)

2pm: Pruning demonstration in the orchard with owner, John Olsen. Pruning handouts will also be available throughout the day

Opening Day

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 02:04:29 GMT

Maine-ly Apples will open for the 2009 season on August 28. For our opening weekend we will have Jerseymac apples both in our store and for pick your own. Pick your own for Paulareds will start around September 4 and McIntosh around September 12. Remember that we do not offer pick your own on all our varieties. We look forward to seeing your soon.

August Update

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 23:45:29 GMT

Maine-ly Apples will be opening August 28. The apples are a little late this year and are taking their time about ripening because of the cool, wet June and July. Although the difficult growing season has affected some varieties, others are quite abundant and are of a good size. Also, cider will be available starting Sept 3. For those on our mailing list, we have sent out our brochures. If you were not on our mailing list and would like to receive a brochure that includes a coupon please e-mail us at info@mainelyapples.com. We look forward to seeing you this fall.

Twitterific

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 21:12:29 GMT

This season Maine-ly Apples will be experimenting with Twitter as a way to get news and information to our customers. You can either follow us directly on the Twitter service, or we will also be posting our Twitter updates on our homepage in the box to the right of our news updates. Check either source for the most up-to-date information from our orchard.

July Update

Fri, 24 Jul 2009 17:54:29 GMT

It's getting to be that time of year again, and we are gearing up for another apple season. As most of you in Maine know, the weather has been less than favorable this spring and summer and has made life difficult for agriculture in the state. The poor growing conditions have adversely affected some of our varieties and will result in a few changes this season:

1. Our new hours will be seven days a week, 10-5.

2. We will be opening on August 28.

3. Pick your own may be limited on some varieties.

We will be updating this site continually throughout the season, and we ask that you check here or call to see if your favorite variety is available for picking or purchase.

We look forward to seeing you this season and appreciate your continued support.

For those on our mailing list, look for our annual flyer and money-saving coupon to arrive in the next few weeks. Be sure to mark your calendar for September 13, which is Maine Apple Sunday.

Blossom Time - part 2

Wed, 03 Jun 2009 02:17:29 GMT

We have updated the web site with some more images of the apple blossoms this season.

Blossom Time

Tue, 19 May 2009 03:25:29 GMT

Spring has finally arrived and the apple trees are starting to bloom. On our web site we have photos of apple blossoms in our orchard, as well as blossoms from pear trees.

Of course, blossoms mean bees and with so many blossoms in one place it is necessary to hire some organized labor to pollinate the orchard. Last Thursday (May 14) we brought in several hives of bees belonging to Ellsworth Perkins from Dexter. Mr. Perkins has very strong hives with some of the hardest working bees in Central Maine; many of his hives are currently dispersed throughout the orchard and the honey bees are flying as well as the occasional bumblebee.

Pruning Photo Essay

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 20:15:29 GMT

As we promised in our February update we have posted a photo essay on pruning. We have described some of the tools and techniques that are necessary for successful pruning. Pruning is an important part of growing apple trees; well-pruned trees will be healthier and have greater yields.

February Update

Mon, 09 Feb 2009 22:14:29 GMT

Welcome to our first update for 2009. It has been a cold and snowy January here in Dixmont. We have to use snowshoes to get around the orchard. They aren't the only tracks in the orchard though. Deer have broken through the fence and are especially bad this year eating buds and clipping branches. They also paw down through the snow to eat any drops that may have been missed.

We've posted several photographs from the orchard and one of the ridge line across from the orchard. In that photograph you can see an anemometer. Mt Harris Wind LLC put it there to check the wind speed and direction. Probably in a few years there will be a string of commercial wind towers along that ridge. To view this photograph and the others please visit our web site.

Finally, we have sharpened all the pruning tools and in a couple of weeks we will begin work. Keep an eye out for a photo essay about pruning sometime in March.