Growing Healthy Vermont Apples Keeps the Allen Family Going

When Ray Allen looks out over his South Hero orchard, he sees more than rows of apple trees laden with fruit. He also sees a family tradition that spans more than 150 years.

Ray is the fifth generation of Allens to run Allenholm Farm. Established in 1870, it’s the oldest commercial apple orchard in the state. His son Andy is the sixth generation to work the farm.

In its early days, Allenholm was a dairy farm that also produced apples and other small fruits. When Ray’s father bought the farm from his father in 1965, he sold off all the dairy cattle and concentrated on growing apples. “At its peak, there was about 120 to 130 acres of producing fruit trees,” Ray says.

More recently, the farm has downsized and shifted its focus from wholesale to retail. With about 15 acres of trees now in production, they offer pick-your-own access during the fall apple harvest. The farm also grows cherries, blueberries, raspberries, pears, and peaches. 

In the roadside farmstand, visitors can purchase picked baskets of apples, along with handmade apple pies and cider pressed on-site. Another big draw is their maple creemee, made with real Vermont maple syrup. To keep customers coming back, the Allens offer a creemee punch card — buy nine and the tenth is free. “People go through those like crazy,” Ray says.

Allenholm Farm is a longtime partner in our Apple Days event, where members receive a voucher that can be redeemed for a free peck of apples at a participating Vermont orchard. “I think what Blue Cross Vermont is doing is great, we support it. We see a lot of people year after year coming in with them,” Rays says.

Apple Varieties

More than 150 varieties of apples are grown in Vermont orchards (see below for descriptions of some popular varieties). Some varieties ripen early and are ready for picking in August. Others need more time on the tree and aren’t ready for harvest until September or October. There are varieties that are prized for eating fresh, while others are valued for baking and making cider.

The Allens have between eight and 12 varieties of apples available, depending on the year. “Some of the older varieties produce one year, the next year there’s hardly any,” Ray explains.

The traditional McIntosh is the most popular apple they grow. “They are so versatile. Pies, apple crisps, baking, eating. They are a good all-around apple, and that’s what we use for a base for our cider,” Ray says.

Empire, a cross between McIntosh and Red Delicious, is another big seller. Empire is his personal favorite, Andy says, as it is one of the best eating apples. “They come in a little later, but they are worth the wait,” he says. “It’s got a nice tart-sweet consistency. It’s perfect when you pick them off the tree.”

The most unique apple the Allens grow is Vermont Gold, a variety developed and patented by Dr. William Luginbuhl, the former dean of the University of Vermont College of Medicine, who was also a horticulturist. Dr. Luginbuhl offered free trees to growers as a way of getting his apple into production. While many growers declined, “my father took him up on it,” Ray says. Today with about 40 trees, “I think we’re the biggest producer of Vermont Golds in the state.”

Vermont Gold is a yellow apple with a flavor that people really like, the Allens say. The apple’s thin skin is very easy to bruise, and because of that, it’s not a pick-your-own offering. Instead, pre-picked baskets are available in the farmstand, where it’s sought out for a rare quality. “There’s no scientific data on it, but a lot of folks that have diabetes come in and say it’s one of the few apples that doesn’t spike their blood sugar,” Andy says.

Continuing Tradition

The Allens say one of the things they enjoy most about growing apples and running the farm is helping their customers carry on their own family traditions.

“One thing that amazes me is we’ll see grandparents coming in with their grandchildren,” says Ray. “The grandparents will stop and recognize us and say, ‘I came here with my grandparents when I was a kid.’ It’s multi-generational.”

Apple picking is great family outing, with parents lifting their kids to grab the shiny fruit off the tree branches. To make a trip to the orchard even more fun, the Allens have added a play area and a petting paddock, with animals on loan from neighboring farms. As a grandfather himself, Ray says he enjoys “just watching the kids come out and play. We make a lot of the games for the play area ourselves.”

The strong sense of tradition at Allenholm Farm is something that appealed to Andy when he decided to join the family business. “Nowadays, every year something new comes out, things change so frequently,” he says. “It’s nice to know a little orchard in Vermont can still sell apples for 154 years.”

Allenholm Farm is located at 111 South Street in South Hero, Vermont. 

We're accepting entries to win an Apple Days voucher through Friday, September 6. Our annual Apple Days event runs September 21 to October 6.

Popular Apple Varieties 

Warm, but not overly hot summer days and cool nights make our state an excellent place to grow apples. Apples are grown on more than 1,700 acres in Vermont, with about 60 orchards in active production. Some Vermont orchards offer heirloom varieties, which have not been crossbred and are passed along from generation to generation. In other cases, the most desirable attributes have been combined to create hybrid apples, which are grown in large quantities to satisfy demand for them.

Here are descriptions of some popular apple varieties found in Vermont orchards.

• Cortland — This apple was developed in 1898 by crossing McIntosh with the Ben Davis variety. Its trees can withstand cold Vermont winters and produce fruit that doesn’t turn brown as fast as other apples. That characteristic makes it great for use in fruit salads and for serving slices with cheese. Cortland is an early fall variety.
• Empire — Developed at Cornell University, the Empire is a cross between Red Delicious and McIntosh. The apple has a bright red color and a sweet, slightly tart taste. Empire is a late fall variety.
• Gala — Originally developed in New Zealand, Gala is a relative newcomer in Vermont orchards. Galas have a mild honey-like flavor and creamy yellow flesh. Ready to pick in early fall.
• Honeycrisp — This hybrid variety was developed in the 1960s at the University of Minnesota. Honeycrisp trees are cold tolerant, perfect for our Vermont winters. The large apples have a very sweet, honey-like flavor with a slight tartness. As the name implies, they have a crisp bite to them. Honeycrisp is an early fall variety. 
• Macoun — Developed at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in the early 1900s, this hybrid is a cross between McIntosh and Jersey Black. It’s extra sweet and juicy with tender white flesh. Macouns are very popular for eating right off the tree. 
• McIntosh — Just the right balance of sweetness and tartness makes the McIntosh a winner in many people’s minds. It’s so popular it was selected as the Vermont state apple. It’s a juicy apple that is very versatile, great for making pies, applesauce, cider, and eating. McIntosh apples are ready in many Vermont orchards in September.
• Northern Spy — Larger than the average apple, Northern Spy has a strong, sweet flavor and a crisp texture. It’s considered an all-purpose apple, great for baking, making cider, and turning into applesauce. Northern Spy is a late fall variety, ready for picking in October.