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Favorite agritourism destinations

 


Courtesy Royal Oak Farm


Royal Oak Farm Orchard

Harvard, Illinois
Spread over 120 acres in northern Illinois, Royal Oak Farm Orchard has grown in 20 years into a one-stop country entertainment destination.

“It was supposed to be my grandparents’ retirement project,” said Sarah Bell, the farm’s special events coordinator. “My grandfather wanted to plant some apple trees, and soon they had a couple thousand. Now, they’ve hired all of the family. There’s four generations of family working on the farm right now.”

Orchard tours, by foot or wagon, cover the history of the farm, particularly how the 15,000 apple trees are maintained.

“Normally we start with a history of the orchard. One of the most important things is our honeybees. We’ve got 60 hives on our farm, and we talk about the role of the bees in pollinating the apples and our irrigation system,” said Bell.

Besides apples, the farm specializes in berries and pumpkins, both available in the U-pick area.

Although the farm is relatively new, owners Peter and Gloria Bianchini have added a nostalgic 19th-century replica train and a 14-horse carousel. Both are full-size and fully functioning for adult visitors to relive their childhood farm memories.

Group visits typically start or end with lunch in the Country Kitchen Restaurant, one of the main highlights of Royal Oak tours. Groups get vouchers that include a soup, an entree and a dessert, all made from scratch. The chicken pot pie is especially famous.

In 2015, Royal Oak will debut the first apple maze in the country, a four-and-a-half-acre maze with about one and a half miles of walking trails. Viewed from above, it has an apple shape, and the height and close spacing of the trees give it roughly the same dimensions as a corn maze.

www.royaloakfarmorchard.com

BelleWood Acres
Lynden, Washington
In 1996, John and Dorie Belisle sold their business in Florida and moved to western Washington, about two hours outside of Seattle, to start a wholesale apple farm.

Today, BelleWood Acres has more than 25,000 apple trees on 32 acres. Those trees produce 21 apple varieties that are sold to local schools and grocers, or become cider, spirits or pies.

“Coming back to the farm was a dream,” said Dorie. “I was raised on a farm, and John grew up in a farm community in Wisconsin.”

The apple tour begins in the orchard, where Dorie Belisle walks through “the varieties, why we planted the way we did and how we grow and balance. We visit the cider line to see how we do cider, then the bakery, and then head to the barn or outdoors for a tasting of three or four apple varieties,” she said.

In the distillery, the farm-to-glass tour with BelleWood’s distiller includes tastings of BelleWood’s apple brandy and gin. Guests also get to sample three different vodkas: a blend, a 100 percent honey crisp variety and a new raspberry-flavored bottling.

Each tour runs about 90 minutes and can be followed or preceded by lunch on-site. Groups can lunch in the bistro, on the farm patio or in a private room. Gourmet burgers, melts, house-made soups and entree-size sandwiches, all served with BelleWood Bubbly, the farm’s nonalcoholic sparkling cider, highlight local ingredients.

For groups of 15 or more, Belisle uses bin trains to get around; otherwise a combination of golf carts and caravans transport guests around the property.

The apple blossom festival, in late April or early May, is a singular time to visit, although it’s difficult to plan around, as the Belisles set the date only when the season approaches. Fall, when the apples are harvested, is the peak of activity in the orchard and in the distillery.

www.bellewoodfarms.com

Gabi Logan

Gabi Logan is a freelance travel journalist whose work has also appeared in USA TODAY, The Dallas Morning News and Italy Magazine. As she travels more than 100,000 miles each year, she aims to discover the unexpected wonder in every destination.