Blog | Apple Crop Reports | Albion Orchards

Money Saving

November 6, 2024 by Albion Orchards

Large retail chainstores are already jacking up the price of apples…

I couldn’t help but notice while passing through the produce section that this retailer is already gouging customers, just after the apple harvest when this fruit should be sold at the lowest prices of the year. Adding insult to injury, they are not even Canadian, let alone from Ontario! The apples advertised above are imports from South America and our biggest competitor, the United States. Right now, there should be massive amounts of freshly picked Canadian fruit offered in grocery stores at very attractive prices. Huge supplies should equate to lower prices in a traditional economy, especially for seasonal produce like tree fruits. As a fruit grower, I have been shocked in recent years at the high cost of apples in Ontario stores in winter, spring and summer. Typically seeing price points of $2.49/lb to $2.99/lb it’s incredible how high the fruit is regularly being sold at. We are currently selling our apples (on average) at half the cost of what is typically seen in grocery store shelves. Why pay more, especially for imported food that we can grow here on our own Canadian soil? 🇨🇦

Open for picking

November 1, 2024 by Albion Orchards

We still have lots of apples for picking here, many varieties too! Open Saturday & Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm….

New lower price for apple picking:

10 lb bags are only $20! 20 lb bags are only $40!

BYOB =Bring Your Own Bushel for extra savings

Fill your bushel basket here for only $30 cheap!

We can sell you a brand new bushel basket if you don’t have one to use…

There are still lots of Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Empire, Spartan, Northern Spy, Ida Red, Jonagold, Pink Lady, Mutsu, and you also still find Royal Gala, Cortland and Granny Smith apples.

Pumpkins

October 31, 2024 by Albion Orchards

Pumpkins Pumpkins

Small $1

Large $2

Apple Picking Still Open? YES…

October 25, 2024 by Albion Orchards

There are still lots of apples to pick here. Spartan, Empire, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Ida Red, Mutsu, Pink Lady, Jonagold, and Northern Spy are in great abundance. Varieties that still can be found include Macintosh, Royal Gala, Granny Smith, Cortland, and there are even still Honeycrisp if you look carefully and explore the orchards for fun!.. We are open Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 10 to 6. We are open weekends 10 to 5.

There are also still lots of pumpkins to choose from, just not as many as before…

Here are some things to know:

Please leave pets at home, our chickens do not want to meet your dog (sorry!)
Please arrive by 4 pm on weekends to be admitted for pick your own activities
Please leave extra garbage at home or in your vehicle to help keep our farm clean
Please do not bring backpacks, diaper bags or other luggage. We will provide bags for apple picking, extra carrying containers are not allowed past the entry point.
As of today, we are waiving the $5 admission charge for apple picking. It is getting late in the season and the weather is starting to change so we are lowering the cost!
BYOB ( Bring your own Bushel) Money-saving Apple lovers who want a fantastic deal on more than 40 pounds of fresh picked fruit may bring their own bushel basket and fill at their leisure for only $30. ( Maximum 3 persons allowed per bushel )
There are no refunds on PYO apples for any reason. We do not guarantee any quantity or quality of produce out on the farm. It is cheaper to buy the same apples pre-picked from inside our store if you are shopping solely based on price per lb.
There is no cost to enter our store and have a look at what we grow first…

Open today til 5

October 20, 2024 by Albion Orchards

Pick your own apples and pumpkins on this beautiful sunny Sunday!

Be here by 4 pm for entry to the farm. PYO closes at 4:30 pm. The store will close at 5 pm.

Leave pets at home please. Dogs are NOT allowed. Backpacks are not allowed. Outside waste is not allowed- please don’t bring garbage here to litter our farm. We are trying to keep it clean for everyone to enjoy. Leave your trash at home or in the car folks!

Pick Your Own

October 18, 2024 by Albion Orchards

Lots and lots of apples to pick here at our farm. The weather is beautiful and the fall colors are gorgeous right now. We have pumpkins  too. Take in some nature and fresh air – take some pictures as well!

We expect to have lots of apples to pick until the end of October, or even longer if the weather stays nice. Empire, Jonagold, Mutsu, Red Delicious, Granny Smith, Pink Lady, Ida Red, Golden Delicious, Northern Spy, Spartan, there’s even still Macintosh and Royal Gala on our trees. There are also lots of Honeycrisp, Cortland, Golden Russett, Ambrosia, Paula Red and Bosc Pears in our store but they are not likely to be found in abundance on the trees.

Thanksgiving Weekend !

October 10, 2024 by Albion Orchards

The biggest farm event is upon us, and here are some things to know :

Please leave pets and garbage at home
Store is open from 10am to 5pm
Please arrive before 4pm for entry to go apple picking
There is no cost to visit the store.
There is no need to make a reservation or buy tickets in advance.
- Pick-your-own costs $25 for 10 pound bags ( 3 persons max) and $45 for 20 pound bags (5 persons max). There is an admission charge of $5 / person.

3 good reasons why PYO costs more than buying in the store….

One more good reason why there are no exceptions!

We have worked very hard to grow food and create a pretty place to visit. Please respect our farm and other visitors.

This weekend…

October 5, 2024 by Albion Orchards

The weather has been fabulous lately and we are seeing more and more visitors come out

It’s pumpkin time too, you will see them if you are going out to the Orchards for apple picking. Bring the family, arrive between 10 am and 4pm but please leave pets at home. There are lots of apples, especially Spartan, Empire, Northern Spy, Red Delicious, Ida Red, Mutsu, Golden Delicious, and Granny Smith. There’s still Macintosh, Royal Gala, Fuji, Pink Lady, Jonagold, Snow, even some Honeycrisp here and there if you look around. Most Ambrosia apples have been picked. Golden Russett, Paula Red and Gingergold apples have been picked but we are selling them inside our market with all the other goodies.

Admission this weekend is $5 per person plus apple picking cost. We encourage all visitors looking to save money to purchase apples in our store, Open 10 to 5 this Saturday and Sunday…

Helping the Salvation Army help others!

October 3, 2024 by Albion Orchards

The Salvation Army was here once again with their truck to pick up a load of fresh apples (1800 lbs) here at Albion Orchards. Pat Labuick, the Manager for Procurement with the Salvation Army in Toronto had contacted us with an urgent call for a contribution to help feed needy families and children. The need is especially dire due to the increasing numbers of homeless on our streets and those who cannot afford food. Without help from donations like these she says, many may otherwise go without. This is especially the case with fresh items (produce like fruit and vegetables) as they are sometimes hard to obtain. Their motto is “Giving Hope Today”. We are pleased to do our part to help in a small way, as it seems that Government policies implemented in the past nine years have only exacerbated the problem…..