As gently organic, we tend to be more susceptible to the whims of the weather, so we never know what each season will bring… Last season was a banner year for us. This season in 2026, we have a small crop that will be used for cider and vinegar.

It’s important to say, no one wants to bring you apples more than us! By not chemically thinning, the trees tend to become more biennial with a heavier crop one year, followed by a lighter crop the next. However, we will not compromise our organic standards. It is for that reason, we choose NOT to spray heavy pesticides, some of which chemically thin the apples in the early growing stages or retain the apples on the trees longer at the end of a season, only to then chemically gas or coat the apples for longer storage. Additionally, conventional standards rely on continuous use of fungicides throughout a season to combat the effects of rain and humidity. Even a slight misty rain with the humidity is not good for the apples. Pestilence and disease that used to be confined to southern and central states has crept up north with the changing weather patterns.

Commitment to the apple crop is year round, without a guarantee of a predictable harvest. A late spring frost, hail storm, or early fall freeze can end a season and wipe out a crop without warning. Apple orchards all over the country, to stay in business, are having to over-invest in entertainment and the latest fanfare to draw customers. Ever wonder why you find fewer heritage apples, only to be replaced by a new commercial favorite, like the Honeycrisp? But what happens when the next trend doesn’t materialize? Ever hear of the Cosmic Crisp apple? Even with a multi-million dollar marketing launch, Cosmic Crisp did not meet customer demand and orchards were left in the lurch.

There are fewer and fewer orchards as the years go on, and even fewer organic apple orchards. Just as much work goes into a year like this, and it can be a little disheartening, but we still do it – to bring you the healthiest apples, cider, and vinegar. Our goal at Eden Acres Family Farm has only been to provide healthy fruit without the fanfare. Raw, unpasteurized cider and vinegar are a natural extension of that desire which helps us to provide life-giving food to our family and yours without sacrificing organic standards which are available every year!

The best way to ensure we are able to continue to bring you nutritious fruit is to buy cider and vinegar! We will be ending our cidering season earlier this year to focus on processing for vinegar. At the moment, we are very low on ready-made vinegar, so this is a “pressing” focus for us as we head into the remaining fall and winter.

We thank you for your support every year! The self-serve farm stand is open EVERY DAY from 9 AM – 5 PM through November 1st. Beginning November and through the winter, get your cider and vinegar by calling ahead.

Visit us also on Saturdays through October at the Gorham Farmers Market (8:30 – 12:30)
And on Sunday, October 18th at Frinklepod Farm in Arundel (12 – 4)