Autumn and Apples
By Susan Bromley
Atlas Twp.- Fall has arrived and with it, the fruits of Ray Porter’s labor.
Apples are ripe for the picking at Porter’s Orchard, 12160 Hegel Road.
Roger Porter died in July, but Ray is continuing his father’s work at the family-owned orchard, with a few extras. He has remodeled and expanded the donut shop and bakery, added a slide and trainset for children to climb on in the picnic area, and is doing more tours for community groups.
‘Dad and I were partners,? Ray Porter says. ‘I’ve been doing this my whole life and I plan to continue on.?
On a recent sunny afternoon, Porter showed the cider presses he runs and the remodeled donut shop, which connects to a larger country store. A variety of items are available for purchase besides the cider and donuts, including jams, jellies, popcorn, maple syrup, raw honey and, of course, apples.
Porter’s Orchard grows 17 varieties of apples, including McIntosh, Red and Yellow Delicious, Empires, Jonathans, and Northern Spy. Visitors can pick apples themselves from the 75-acre orchard at 30 cents per pound or purchase them by a tray, half-peck, peck, half-bushel or bushel in the store. Porter’s offers a free sample of whichever variety apple is ripe for picking, which varies by the week. The pumpkin patch will be ripe for picking Oct. 1.
A petting zoo with two llamas, four goats, three rabbits, a pot-bellied pig and ducks and chickens is available daily. On weekends, visitors can take a hayride through the orchard to pick both apples and pumpkins (hayrides are available during the week for tour groups).
‘Come out and enjoy the nice fall weather and the outdoors and the animals,? says Porter. ‘It’s a nice thing for the family to do on the weekend that is close and not a long drive.?
Porter’s Orchard is open from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and Sundays from noon to 6 p.m. through Dec. 24 and open weekends from January through February before closing until August.
For more information and for ripe apple varieties, call (810) 636-7156.