So you're on a healthy eating kick! If stocking up on greens and berries from the produce section of your local grocery chain store is your MO, you may want to reconsider. Healthy eating doesn't get any easier during the local growing season when farm-fresh fruits and vegetables are practically in your own backyard. Joining a local CSA Farm Share is a simple solution with a bounty of benefits for your family, and for local farmers in the community. We've put together seven simple reasons why you should consider participating in a CSA Farm Share.

What is a CSA Farm Share?

If you've never heard of a CSA, it stands for Community Supported Agriculture.  Community Supported Agriculture means both the member and the farmer share the risks and rewards of growing fresh produce. CSA members purchase a "crop share" in early spring, before the growing season begins.  Then, throughout the season, farm share members pick up their share of just-harvested, farm-fresh vegetables and fruits on a pre-determined day, time and location. Each week's share follows the season since the produce is grown from seed, tended to, and then harvested at the peak of ripeness. It's like a weekly subscription for local fruits and vegetables!

What are the Benefits of Joining a CSA Farm Share?

1. Farm-Fresh Produce -A key health benefit of farm-fresh fruits and vegetables is that they're fresher because they're picked at the peak of ripeness, when the nutrients are most dense (usually 24 hours or less before they're picked up)! In most cases, produce in the grocery store is harvested before it’s fully ripe, ensuring it can make the trip to store shelves without rotting. Additionally, in comparison to commercial farms, there is no artificial air, lights, temperature controls, or transport over long distances which cause food to lose nutritional value.  For this reason, CSA produce stays fresher longer, so bon voyage to wilted greens and shriveled carrots!
2. Locally Grown - CSA farm share produce is responsibly grown by local farmers. Eating local means there is more transparency about the people who grow your food. A CSA program typically lists local farm partners and information on their farming practices. Local farmers tend to focus on soil health and sustainable growing methods, resulting in better tasting, more nutritious fruits and vegetables.
3. Economical - Buying local produce during the growing season is usually around the same price (or maybe even less expensive) as grocery store produce since you're not paying extra for transport or shipping. Canning or freezing fruits and vegetables can also help you save even more money during the off-season.
4. Time Saver - Since top-quality produce is hand-selected just for you ahead of time, you save "shopping time"!
5. Seasonal Eating - Eating with the seasons has a nutritional benefit. When produce is grown and eaten during the appropriate season, it is more nutritionally dense. For example, broccoli grown during the Fall, at its peak season, has a higher vitamin C content than broccoli grown during other seasons.
6. Environment-Friendly - Buying local means buying foods that have undergone less travel, processing, and packaging. On average, fruits and vegetables travel 1,300–2,000 miles to get from farms to stores in your area. Local produce means less CO2 emissions from the energy required to transport and refrigerate produce.
7. Variety - CSA Farm Shares are a great way to try new foods. Smaller, local farmers often grow heirloom produce, grown from seeds that haven’t been cross-pollinated with other plants, and other varieties not available at the grocery store. Eating a wider variety of vibrant fruits and vegetables provides a broad range of antioxidants and phytonutrients (plant substances that help fight disease). Some Farm Share programs, such as Lyman Orchards' CSA,  may even provide you with new recipes.

There are plenty of reasons to join a local CSA Farm Share this year!  Revolutionize your dinner table with farm-fresh, nutritional, and seasonal product.  Click here for more information on Lyman Orchards CSA Farm Share.

The results are in, and the readers of Connecticut Magazine have once again selected Lyman Orchards as the BEST PICK YOUR OWN FARM in Connecticut.  Thank you!  In a state with many wonderful farms to choose from, this is such an honor!       

The path to obtaining this award has been 280 YEARS in the making!  In fact, Lyman Orchards is the twelfth oldest family-owned company still in operation in the country!  The Lyman Orchards story begins in 1741, when John Lyman and his wife Hope purchased 37 acres of land in a southwest area of Middletown (currently Middlefield), now the site of the Homestead and the Apple Barrel Farm Market.  In the 1960’s Lyman Orchards invited everyone to be a “farmer for the day” and Pick Your Own (“PYO”) was born.  Now in 2021, 350 acres of the 1000-acre Lyman Orchards property is dedicated to PYO fields.  Lyman Orchards continues to welcome guests from June to October to take part in this tradition by picking your own fresh fruits - over 100 varieties to choose from!

Want a hear of little bit of living history?  Call the Pick Your Own Hotline at 860-349-6015 and you will most likely be treated to the voice of our modern-day John Lyman, eighth generation family member of the original John Lyman, providing an upbeat and informative listing of daily picking conditions, varieties, prices, and events.  Take a peek at what you can harvest for yourself:

STRAWBERRIES:  The PYO season always starts with a winner – strawberries!  Beginning in early June (sometimes late May if the conditions are right), visitors can fill their containers with these plump and vibrant gems.  Did you know that there are multiple varieties of strawberries for picking?  The varieties come in different sizes and different levels of sweetness – come try them all!     

JOSTABERRIES:  The Jostaberry is a complex cross between black currants and gooseberries.  Never heard of them?  That’s probably because they are not well suited to mechanical harvesting, so their commercial production is limited.  Luck for you, they are here at Lyman Orchards waiting to be picked from early to mid-July.  Do what robots can’t and pick yourself some jostaberries.   

BLUEBERRIES:  These nutritional powerhouses are yours for the picking from mid-July to early August.  Bonus:  Blueberry bushes are perfectly human-sized for picking without bending.  

RASPBERRIES:  While familiar to most people, raspberries are still some of the weirdest fruits available at Lyman Orchards.  Technically they are not even berries because each individual raspberry is made of dozens of drupelets which together surround a core that remains on the bush when plucked, leaving you with the empty cup-shaped raspberry.  Come back in late June to late July to see these delicious tiny monsters for yourself. 

APPLES:  In addition to the honor of being Connecticut Magazine’s Best Pick Your Own Farm in Connecticut, in September 2021, Reader’s Digest also named Lyman Orchards as the BEST PLACE TO GO APPLE PICKING IN CT.  This year’s apple crop is also one of our best yet – woohoo!  As if you could possibly need another reason, our apples are ECO-CERTIFIED meaning that environmentally disruptive practices (e.g. sprays) are minimized in favor of natural occurring controls (ladybugs and other predators).  It’s fair to say that Lyman Orchards knows apples!  And there are over 20 varieties of apples to pick from – all having a unique flavor profile.  While apples in general are available from mid-August to late October, each variety has its own little “mini season” so pay attention to what’s picking from the Pick Your Own Hotline (860-349-6015) and try them all!

PEACHES / NECTARINES:  Lyman Orchards peaches are also ECO-CERTIFIED to preserve and protect the orchards’ ecology.  Available mid-July to late September, your sweet and juicy peach picking experience includes “cling-stone” varieties earlier in the season (when the flesh clings to the pit) and “free stone” varieties later in the season.     

PEARS:    Homer didn’t call pears the “gift of the gods” for nothing.  Pears are absolutely delightful, and you can pick these shapely treats from late August to late September.  And don’t forget to pick some Asian pears too.  Apple-shaped Asian pears do make luxurious tasting gifts – yum!  

PUMPKINS:  The pumpkin spice craze would be nothing without the pumpkin.  Find your moment of Autumn greatness and dive into the Lyman Orchards pumpkin patch, filled with classic orange pumpkins, as well as trendy white pumpkins and jolly green pumpkins.  And don’t miss the warty goblin pumpkin that’s in a class of its own!     

As exciting as picking your own fruits can be, Lyman Orchards is here to take your day’s fun up several more notches.  Offerings vary throughout the season.

• Sunflower Maze (August)
• Corn Maze (September to beginning of November)
• Apple Cannons  
• Hayrides
• Golf (Lyman Golf offers 36 holes of championship golf and a friendly Par-29 course)
• Dining (Apple Barrel Farm Market Deli and the fabulous full service 1741 Pub & Grill)
• Shopping at the Apple Barrel Farm Market for apple cider donuts, pies, and so much more
• Festivals and Events galore - check our Events tab as the selection is constantly updated.  The line-up often includes musicians, food trucks, comedians, story tellers, trivia nights, wine and beer tasting, dancers, mix-tape media, goats, brunches, painting, dueling pianos, cookie decorating, and special guests.  

The Lyman family is proud and determined to maintain and evolve the farm for future generations.  We will continue to work hard at deserving this Best Pick Your Own Farm in CT award and look forward to hosting you throughout the year on your PYO farming journey.    

For all that know and love Lyman Orchards, and for anyone that hasn’t had the opportunity to visit yet, you can still get a “taste” of the farm by picking up the BEST PIE.  Obviously, we think it’s the Best Pie, but it is so exciting to have our opinion confirmed by the fine residents of CT in Connecticut Magazine’s reader’s poll 2021. 

Everyone who’s been to Lyman Orchards has their own favorite reason for visiting.  For some, it’s the fruit picking:  from Strawberries to Apples and every fruit in between, PYO fruits is why these day-farmers and fruit-lovers leave home.  For others it’s the entertainment:  the sunflower maze, corn maze, apple cannons, restaurants, musicians, festivals, and more, there’s something fun for everyone at Lyman Orchards.  Still, others are drawn to Lyman Orchards for the 36 holes of championship golf and unbeatable leagues and instruction.  And for many, it’s the Best Pie made by Lyman Orchards. 

Lyman Orchards isn’t known as “Connecticut’s Sweet Spot” for nothing.  The Bakery at the Apple Barrel Farm Market pumps out a delightful assortment of pies, breads, muffins, pastries, and apple cider donuts, and the enticing aroma of fresh-baked products wafts through the air all day, every day.  And although all our bakery products are good-for-your-soul tasty, our pies have stood out as a symbol of Lyman Orchards, something people in states near and far have enjoyed for decades.       

You may have questions about this prestigious BEST PIE award, and we have some answers!

WHO chose Lyman Orchards Pie to be the Best Pie?  The readers of Connecticut Magazine, that’s who! Our appreciation goes out to these readers and voters, we are delighted to have this honor!

WHAT makes a pie “the Best Pie”?   If this question could be answered with a recipe or a pie chart, then everyone would be making the Best Pie.  We have a feeling that it might be the dash of nature, the smidge of nostalgia, and the pinch of love that is included in every Lyman Orchards pie that sets it apart from the rest.    

WHEN should I serve the Best Pie?  Your earliest option could be breakfast – our pies do contain fruit, after all.  A more common time would be for dessert, after lunch or dinner, of course.  But there’s no reason to stop there.  How about brunch or after school or as a bedtime snack?  And what about for book club, or after playing cards with friends, or on game day?  The Best Pie can be an awesome delight any time of any day, and even makes a great gift!      

WHERE can I get my hands on the Best Pie?  So many places!  The Best Pie is available in the Apple Barrel Farm Market at Lyman Orchards, fresh-cooked on-premises and ready to serve for dessert right after dinner.  You can even purchase the Best Pie frozen so that it can be stored in your freezer and then cooked in your own home oven for that fresh-baked taste at your convenience.  Not near the Apple Barrel Farm Market?  Luckily the Best Pie is also carried at your local Big Y and D’AG NYC grocery stores, for your convenience.  Lyman Orchards pies also make unique and successful fundraising items, so if you’re lucky, you may be approached to support a charitable organization with the purchase of the Best Pie – that’s a win-win!   

WHY should I purchase the Best Pie?  If you’re going to have pie, why settle for less than the best?    

WHICH Lyman Orchards pie is the Best Pie?  There’s only one person that can answer this one for you – and that’s YOU trying them all!  Here is a listing of our current offerings to get you started:

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie:  Enjoy a taste of summer anytime with sweet juicy strawberries and tart red rhubarb.

Bumbleberry Pie: If you can’t choose between apples, cherries, raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries, then this pie is for you – it has them all!

Hi-Top Red, White & Blue Pie: You’ll love this patriotic blend of cherries, apples, and blueberries.

Cherry Pie: No need to cut down a cherry tree to enjoy this sweet and tart treat.

Apple Crumb Pie: If apple pie and apple crisp had a baby, it would be this pie. Take your pie-eating up a notch with cinnamon crumb topping.

Blueberry Pie: Hidden between two crusts is the perfect blend of wild and cultivated blueberries.

Hi-Top Apple Pie: From a generations-old recipe, this pie is loaded with two pounds of apples and is as American as apple pie.

We can’t wait to share the ultimate comfort food with you.  Thank you again for selecting Lyman Orchards as having the BEST PIE in CT!