Mad Tom Orchard in East Dorset is officially open for the season!
Owners Tom and Sylvia Smith began restoring Mad Tom Orchard back in 1999. The orchard was originally planted in 1940 by the Parson’s family. Tom’s father purchased the orchard in the early 1960s. He ran it for years as a commercial operation before transitioning it to a pick-your-own, as it is today. With the loss of airplane spray service, the orchard closed in 1997.
When Tom and Sylvia took the reins, they pruned more than 100 of the orchard’s old, overgrown trees. They also planted more than 1,200 new trees. Their hard work was fruitful –both literally and figuratively – and the pair were able to bring over eight acres back into production.
Today, Mad Tom Orchard remains committed to sustainable growing practices to ensure the property remains vibrant and in use for generations to come. In the 1950s, Tom’s father used a broad-spectrum spray. It worked well to keep the tree fruit insects that caused damage to the orchard at bay, but it also meant that beneficial insects were also impacted. Today, no herbicides are used in the orchard and Tom and Sylvia do all they can to grow our crop in the most environmentally friendly ways possible.
You can read more about the orchard and what to expect for a visit on our website: https://www.dorsetvt.com/story-item/pick-your-own-apples/
Find information, times and apples available on Mad Tom Orchard website at www.madtomorchard.com
Original source can be found here.
Alerts Sign-up