What we grow
Plum Brook Farm primarily produces fruit: apples, pears (mostly Asian pears), peaches, raspberries, blueberries, and grapes. In the fall, we press fresh cider (apple and apple-pear) weekly, and we sell apple sauce and apple butter made from our fruit. We grow some garlic, basil, tomatoes, and sometimes pumpkins and other annual crops in limited quantities. We also sell some local products grown or produced by our partners, including Hives to Home honey from hives kept on our farm and other farms nearby.
How to buy
Our farmstand at 416 Bay Road in Amherst is generally open every day in season, starting sometime in June or July and ending sometime in November. Hours are generally 9am to dusk, but may vary. When open, our OPEN sign is always displayed. The farmstand is self-service using the honor system. We accept all major credit cards and digital payments using a Square terminal, Venmo, or cash in a cash box (no change available).
We do have an online store is limited to non-perishable items that we ship (apple butter) and items that we deliver to Brookfield Farm for their CSA members. When the farmstand season is over, we sometimes advertise opportunities to pre-purchase holiday or seasonal items and pick them up at the farm during specific time periods.
How we grow
All of our products are grown with inputs and methods that could qualify us for organic certification, but we have not yet taken the step of getting certified. Organic tree fruit is rare in New England, and it is hard to grow, but we think it’s worth the effort. We use mating disruptor pheromones, and a variety of mineral and biological products from old-fashioned sulfur to the extremely targeted “codling moth granulosis virus.” We pay close attention to pest and disease models to apply the right materials at the right time, following Integrated Pest Management (IPM) principles. Unfortunately, some organic materials are very expensive and many are not as effective or long-lasting as their conventional counterparts, so our costs are high and we must find the beauty in cosmetic “imperfections.” Despite those challenges, we pride ourselves in producing high quality fruit with top-notch flavor at fair prices, and our loyal customers tell us we are succeeding.
What a year it was here on the farm!!! If we had to sum it up we would probably say that it was the year of the apple. SO MANY APPLES! It was a truly spectacular apple season, which made for a great cider season as well…but it was also an amazing peach and raspberry season, we made pick-your-own happen, we introduced our own apple sauce and apple butter, and so much more! We are exhausted, but thrilled with all that we accomplished in 2024.
Of course we couldn’t pull off any of it without our amazing almost full-time farm worker, Cami, who was here with us most of the year doing everything from pruning to picking a billion raspberries to harvesting a million apples, and everything in between…and our incredible crew of part-timers, Chloe, Lily, Brandon, Irely, Tommy, Ally, Peter and Nate, who harvested, cleaned, mowed, ran u-pick, and so many other things!
And of course, without our customers we are nothing. We will always be honored to be able to help feed you and your families with healthy fruit grown on this land that we work hard to shepherd gratefully, and responsibly. Thank you, thank you for supporting us through our third season. We can’t wait to embark on the 2025 season!
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It’s the final countdown until the Christmas holiday hits, and this year that means the start of Hanukkah as well…maybe it’s Kwanzaa that happens in your house, or maybe you’re still celebrating the Winter Solstice and the return of the march toward the light! No matter what you’re celebrating this week and next, we have yummy goodies to add to your festivities!
Open until dark on this cold, partly sunny day, with apple sauce and apple butter to add to the table, garlic if you’re cooking anything at all, and frozen cider to drink causally or use to toast your special people, just waiting for you in the cooler!
Swing on by and grab some final items for your table, for your guests, for your hosts, or just for you! We LOVE being part of your every days, and also part of your special days and holidays!
We will be closed the remainder of the week to enjoy time with our littlest farmer, as well as the older kids who have made their way up to the farm. Watch for updates on next week when we tune back in. And if you need some apple sauce or apple butter when we aren’t open, head to the website to order and we can leave it in the farm stand for pickup!
Happiest of holidays this week!
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Ok, one more time with this pic!!! Despite the truly frigid temps out there, the farm stand IS OPEN, and we have had a steady stream of customers today grabbing apple sauce, apple butter, and frozen cider! We have restocked countless times, which makes us so giddy, because it means you’re adding us to your holiday tables, holiday gatherings, holiday traditions, and possibly gifting our products to those with whom you choose to celebrate…and nothing could make us happier!
If you don’t make it by today, but want sauce or butter, you can order online with the link in our bio, for pick up at the farm stand even though it won’t be open. We are also now shipping those items, so if you’re far away and want some, we got you! We also have frozen cider out there, and will likely have that available for the next week or so, so watch here and/or emails if you’re on that list.
Again, we feel so fortunate to have you all as customers, near and far at this point, and take so much pride in helping to feed you and your families!
#plumbrookfarm #teamplumbrook #eatlocal #shoplocal #buylocal #whatsinseason #knowyourfarmer #smallfarm #fruitfarm #fruitfarmers #apple #pear #orchard #appleorchard #pearorchard #cider #applecider #freshcider #cidermaker #localfoodforever #communityfarm #fallseason #farmerhero #applesauce #applebutter #supportlocal #supportsmallbusiness #supportlocalbusiness #supportsmallfarms #supportsmallfarmers
The weather has been ALL over the place this fall, but New England got the memo that winter officially starts on Saturday, and truly cold temps are coming. That means the remainder of the apples have to make it from the farm to your kitchens! So…apples are $1/pound until they’re gone!!! There are still a few varieties out there, and they’re still amazing!
Stock up to eat fresh, and of course to make pies, crisps, even simple baked apples with a bit of cinnamon and maple syrup…YUM!
And if you’re stopping for apples, stock up on our apple sauce for the holiday table, apple butter for those yummy morning buns, popovers and toast you will make during the holiday break, some cider which is spectacular both cold and hot, and some gorgeous garlic for all of those holiday meals you’re cooking!
And, surprise, a crate of Asian pears was hiding in our cold storage, so they’re out there for the taking, literally! If you stop by, please grab some Asian pears, ON US!
As we wind down and start to target our final farm stand day for the 2024 season, we’ve added the apple sauce and apple butter to our website for order (link in bio here or off the main website), AND, if you’re a fan of the farm, or know someone who is, we’ve now got gift cards available to use next season, which basically provides a discount on next year’s produce. Check it out!!!
#plumbrookfarm #teamplumbrook #eatlocal #shoplocal #buylocal #whatsinseason #knowyourfarmer #smallfarm #fruitfarm #fruitfarmers #apple #pear #orchard #appleorchard #pearorchard #cider #applecider #freshcider #cidermaker #localfoodforever #communityfarm #fallseason #farmerhero #applesauce #applebutter #supportlocal #supportsmallbusiness #supportlocalbusiness #supportsmallfarms #supportsmallfarmers
Good Fruit
Plum Brook Farm’s mission is to build community by creating experiences on the land, sharing its bounty, and demonstrating good stewardship.