Apple does not fall far from family tree in Madison

MADISON — Beneath Sunday’s cloudless blue sky, 5-year-old Dallas Nichols laughed and tromped his way through rows of apple trees at North Star Orchards.

The boy was leading the charge as he and his parents Suzanne and Craig Nichols of Pittsfield embarked on their annual apple picking excursion during Maine Apple Sunday.

Suzanne Nichols carried a bag filled with apples the family had picked, and even as the bag inched closer to overflowing, Dallas continued collecting apples for his family.

He carefully inspected each apple before handing it to his mother, insisting all of the fruit could fit into the bag, despite his parents’ better judgment. He showed himself to be something of an apple connoisseur, picking a variety of apples.

“I like the Honeycrisps best,” Dallas said. “But I like some yellow ones, too.”

Dallas and his parents were among many families at North Star and orchards across the state celebrating the 23rd annual Maine Apple Sunday. The event is organized by the Maine Pomological Society and takes place during the brief window when the summer and fall apple harvests are ripe.

North Star Orchards at 97 Orchard Road in Madison was one of fifteen apple growers across the state participating in this year’s event. The day marks the beginning of the best time of the year for apple farmers, and is significant for orchards across the state in getting more people out to visit them, according to Jennifer Dimock, who oversees the orchard’s operations.

“It means the start of a really great season,” she said. “It’s a great way to introduce everybody to what we do here and get them to come out and visit us. Pick some apples, buy some apples, eat some apples.”

By noon Sunday, the orchard had already seen more than 300 visitors, according to Carol Vigneault, a relative of Dimock’s who has worked at the orchard’s store for more than 25 years. Vigneault said more people had visited than was initially expected, attributing the strong turnout to the clear weather, warm temperatures and welcoming environment.

Weston Johnson, 2, of Skowhegan carries apples while picking them with his mother, Brittany, and sister, Piper, 7, at North Star Orchards at 97 Orchard Road in Madison during the 23rd annual Maine Apple Sunday. The three are picking with the children’s grandmother, Sally Morin of Winslow. Rich Abrahamson/Morning Sentinel

“You know, the store is nice, the people are nice, the orchard is beautiful,” Vigneault said. “It’s during harvest, so I think we’ll be busy all week, as long as the weather’s good.”

Apple farmers across Maine faced a challenging growing season in 2023, with difficult weather conditions making this year’s crop more difficult to grow. Tough and unpredictable conditions have become something of the norm for farmers of all kinds as climate change continues to affect weather patterns and growing seasons.

Still, despite the unexpected cold snaps, harsh and heavy rains, unusually high temperatures and recent arrival of an out-of-season nor’easter, Dimock said the orchard’s harvest turned out well.

Weston Johnson, 2, of Skowhegan enjoys an apple while picking them with his mother, Brittany, and sister, Piper, 7, at North Star Orchards at 97 Orchard Road in Madison during the 23rd annual Maine Apple Sunday. The three are picking with the children’s grandmother, Sally Morin of Winslow. Rich Abrahamson/Morning Sentinel

“We’ve had three years of drought prior, so to have this whole summer of rain was a little shocking for the trees and for us,” she said. “It makes it difficult to do work in the orchard. We could have used some more sun, but we actually have a nice crop. I’m kind of excited.”

While warming temperatures have extended the growing season, Dimock said they have also made apple trees much more sensitive to the cold and allowed the spread of new kinds of disease among the trees.

“For us, we’ve noticed the growing season is different,” she said. “Warmer weather comes early, which becomes problematic if you have frost or cold snaps, because that kind of thing, you can’t plan for it. It introduces different diseases and pests into the orchard that we’re not as familiar with, so you’re always reeducating yourself.”

As farmers continue to recover from difficult growing seasons, poor harvests and the still-rippling economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, Maine Apple Sunday has become an increasingly important show of community for orchards across the state. While Dimock noted that orchards have always had a shared sense of camaraderie, the day has become an important driver of tourism as apple growers continue to rebound from the pandemic’s hard-hitting economic downturns.

“It’s fun and it’s difficult all at the same time,” she said. “This is a family orchard. So I get to work with my family, which is wonderful, but it’s always challenging. My parents bought this place almost 50 years ago, and orchards have always reached out to other orchards to help.”

North Star’s family-friendly atmosphere is fitting given the farm has been family owned and operated for generations. Along with many of the orchard’s staff members, Dimock has worked at the farm in some capacity for most of her life.

The orchard has been a family-run operation since at least the late 1800s, although several families have owned it over the years. Dimock’s parents bought it most recently nearly 50 years ago, and she has worked it for more than 30 years.

Phil Haulk shops for apples at North Star Orchards at 97 Orchard Road in Madison during the 23rd annual Maine Apple Sunday. Rich Abrahamson/Morning Sentinel

When asked if she expects a third generation of Dimocks to take ownership of the farm, she laughed and said that decision is not hers.

“My parents always said to us: ‘We don’t expect you to take it over. We’re doing it for us, and if you want to, great. If you don’t, do your own thing,'” she said. “I think that’s the way we’ll approach it, too.”