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FRANKFORT, Ky. — Kentucky travelers have more choices for fun fall outings than ever. With gas prices skyrocketing, agritourism destinations offer inexpensive, enjoyable and educational activities close to home.
Haney’s Appledale Farm is a family-owned apple and peach orchard in Nancy in Pulaski County. Besides its peaches in the summer and its 40 varieties of apples in the fall, Haney’s is also known for its unique fried apple and peach pies.“We think they’re pretty special,” said Don Haney, who co-owns the farm with his brother, Mark. “We have people travel a long way just to buy a box of pies.”
Haney’s orchard is 132 years old and, according to Don, was one of the first to allow people to pick their own fruit.“We’ve been doing that nearly 40 years,” he said. “Our dad started it out of desperation, but it’s a family tradition now. We’ve got people that came here as children that come back with their children and grandchildren.”
Peaches are picked through Labor Day, then attention turns to the apples, which ripen in September and October. Haney’s also sells jams and jellies, and has a gift shop with hundreds of different types of baskets and candles that are made locally.
More information is available at www.haneysapplefarm.com.
Bear Wallow Farm, also in Pulaski County, offers the unique experience of launching pumpkins into the sky. Co-owner Larry Burton, who made the farm’s air-powered Punkin Chucker, fires an orange satellite into the heavens at the conclusion of every hayride, said his wife, Judy.
“Once people get out here and see it, they are really amazed by it,” she said.
Bear Wallow, which has been in business for five years, also offers a nature trail, a tour of a 1900-vintage home place, gemstone mining, pony rides, wood for campfires and a four-acre corn maze. A local radio station broadcasts live from the farm every Saturday morning and puts on contests for visitors. The farm is open to the public Saturdays from 10 a.m.-10 p.m. and Sundays from 1-6 p.m. It hosts school tours during the week.
For more information, go to www.lakecumberlandlive.com/bearwallow.
Reid’s Orchard in Daviess County started an apple festival 20 years ago to introduce newcomers to the area to the orchard business the family has had for more than 130 years."It kinda snowballed," owner Billie Reid said. "We never dreamed it would get this big."
The orchard’s 19th annual Apple Festival is Oct. 22-23. The end-of-harvest event attracts as many as 24,000 people to the 240-acre farm each year, according to Reid. Activities include rides in a tethered hot-air balloon and a wagon pulled by a pony. There is also a corn maze, craft booths and food vendors serving chicken and pork dinners. Guests can buy apple cider, apple slushies and apple sundaes made from the orchard’s signature crop.
"It's kinda like the old county fair atmosphere," Reid said. "It's a family event."
Reid's Orchard grows 23 acres of apples, 22 acres of peaches, three acres of strawberries and about 50 acres of assorted vegetables.
One letter but about 160 miles away, Reed Valley Orchard in Bourbon County will host its Country Festival and Back Forty Nature Walk on Oct. 1. Visitors at the annual event can take a nature walk and follow a historic stagecoach trail where outlaws Frank and Jesse James once camped. Area craftsmen and vendors set up craft and food booths, and local musicians provide music. Fresh fruit slushies and homemade ice cream are available, made from fruits and berries grown in the orchard. There also is an apple pie contest.
Reed Valley offers visitors 45 varieties of apples to pick as well as peaches, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, Asian pears, seasonal vegetables, pumpkins, Indian corn, and gourds. A gift shop sells jams, jellies, apple butter, pumpkin butter, local honey, sorghum, cushaws (winter squash), mums, dried apples and handmade crafts.
For more information, visit the orchard’s Web site at www.reedvalleyorchard.com.
“R” Farm in Mason County will hold its seventh annual Pumpkinfest Sept. 24-25 and Oct. 1-2 and will host a haunted corn maze Oct. 28-29. The farm will welcome group and school tours Monday through Friday during October.
Pumpkinfest is expected to grown in attendance to about 2,000, which will about make up for the loss of many school tours from surrounding counties due to increasing gas prices, owner Loura Robinson said. “We think the festival [attendance] is going to be up because people are not traveling,” said Robinson, who is president of the River Valley Agritourism Alliance.
Pumpkinfest offers u-pick pumpkins, wagon rides, crafts, collectibles, a two-acre corn maze, live entertainment, food booths, a petting zoo and many other activities. Special events include greased pig contests, a pageant for children up to 6 years old, a costume contest for children up to 10, and a talent contest.The Haunted Corn Maze will offer food, a marshmallow roast, a campfire and a hayride. Admission is $5.
When they’re not entertaining guests, Loura and Davis Robinson raise tobacco, hay and corn as well as five to seven acres of pumpkins and gourds on their 130-acre farm.
More information on “R” Farm is available at www.r-farm.com.
Many other fall agritourism adventures are available throughout Kentucky. For more information, go to www.kentuckytourism.com.
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Larry Burton's Punkin Chucker launches another pumpkin from the grounds of Bear Wallow Farm in Pulaski County. (Teresa Prather photo)
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