“Good” doesn’t even begin to describe the fresh, out of this world apple crop this year! “This year’s crop is among the best that state has produced in years,” according to the Virginia Agriculture and Consumer Services Department.
With cooler nights on the way, Carter Mountain apples will be crisp and better than ever.
Visit our Pick Your Own Fruit page for the 2015 apple harvest schedule.
Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine visited us last week to video a segment on their Top Towns Contest, sponsored by Bold Rock Hard Cider
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Our 1st Annual Mountaintop “Thrill of the Grill” BBQ Challenge was on August 15th. See this story about our champion!
We are quickly gearing up for our most fun, favorite, and busy time of year! We are hiring a variety of positions, including Retail Sales Team Members, Concession Cashiers, Assistant Managers, and Administrative Assistant, to name a few! All positions are seasonal, starting in the next couple of weeks and going through the middle of November. Do you love people, apples, and the great outdoors? Are you looking to make some extra money for the holidays? Do you have 15-30 hours per week available for the next 3 months? We could be looking for you! Read our job descriptions and fill out your application!
What a gorgeous weekend for the annual Ol’ Fashioned Peach Festival!
Video clip courtesy of NBC29 WVIR Charlottesville, VA
Peach picking, our Royal Court, and our Pie Eating Contests were the highlights of our weekend. It’s the peak of the season, and thousands came out to enjoy the harvest with us!
For more photos of the fun we had, check out our Facebook page. And don’t forget to mark your calendars for upcoming events on the Mountain!
July 21, 2014
The Staunton NewsLeader features Chiles Peach Orchard.
March 1, 2012
The Crozet Gazette posted a great article on peach tree pruning.
August 17, 2011
USA Today features Chiles Peach Orchard in an article about picking peaches.
August 12, 2008
Charlottesville Tomorrow’s Pie Day.
July 31, 2008
The Virginia Farm Bureau featured Chiles Peach Orchard in an article entitled “Sweet Virginia peaches are ripe for the picking.”
May 25, 2008
Chiles Peach Orchard was the featured business in this Daily Progress article.
May 17, 2008
Strawberry Season In Full Bloom in Crozet. NBC29 article.
September 20, 2005
Daily Progress wrote an article, “A Good Year for Peaches.”
Photo: Mike Tripp/The News Leader
January 2015
Virginia Agriculture Magazine features Carter Mountain Orchard in their article about Virginia Apples!
September 2013
Southern Living Magazine features Carter Mountain Orchard in their article about Virginia’s Apple Country!
January 2013
Growing Magazine featured Carter Mountain Orchard!
September 2011
Women’s Day Magazine names Carter Mountain Orchard as one of America’s Top 10 Places to Pick Apples!
May 15, 2011
The Examiner says that Carter Mountain makes a great day trip!
November 16, 2008
Daily Progress article: Carter offers trip that’s in very good taste.
October 5, 2008
Charlottesville Newsplex article: Carter Mountain Orchard is Celebrating Healthy Crop.
July 30, 2008
Daily Progress article: Albemarle Fair honors agricultural achievers.
October 3, 2006
Cavalier Daily article: How Do You Like Them Apples? – Carter Mountain Orchard offers a reprieve from the hustle and bustle of daily University life.
September 16, 2006
Daily Progress article: Seeds of Change – Apple growers adapt to survive.
Featured photo by Andrea Forcum from the 2011 Examiner article.
“As any grower could attest, producing a great harvest of apples in Virginia means knowing about weather, soil content and the number of growing days.
And more and more these days, it requires a sound knowledge of consumer trends. That’s how Cynthia Chiles sees it, and she knows something about apples. She and her family own Crown Orchard Company and Carter Mountain Orchard in Charlottesville, which have been in business since her great-grandfather first planted orchards in 1912. Chiles says that she, her siblings and their children are continuously striving to produce the best apples possible.
‘Lots of things have changed in the industry,’ she says. ‘There are so many varieties of apples being developed, and we have to understand customer demands and trends. Every time a new variety or strain of an apple is being developed, everybody jumps on the bandwagon to be the first to grow it.'”
Continuing reading the article by John McBryde at farmflavor.com/virginia/virginia-ag-products/apples-aplenty-virginia-apple-industry-heavy-fruit, or find it featured on page 30 of the Virginia Agriculture magazine embedded below.
How can it be the end of March already? Spring is such a busy time in the orchard! The warm temperatures have come on so quickly that everything is happening at one time! Peach trees are getting ready to bloom, apple trees won’t be far behind, and we are cleaning the Country Store getting ready for our spring opening!
Opening Day at Carter Mountain will be on April 16th! We’ll be open on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 10-5, til the middle of June. We’ll then start our 7 day/week schedule. While there is no Pick Your Own fruit available in the spring, you’ll be able to visit our Wine Shop, get some donuts from the bakery, check out the new merchandise in our Country Store, and enjoy the view.
On April 17th and 18th, we’ll hold our first annual Spring Fling Festival! We’ve got crafters, food, music, wine, and hayrides lined up for your outdoor pleasure. Come on out for some outdoor fun—we are all so ready for it after the winter we’ve just come through!
Update: Check out some of the event photos our Facebook page!
We get lots of questions this time of year about how the winter weather affects our crops. We appreciate our customer’s concerns! This winter, we’ve had more precipitation than the past several winters, both in the form of snow (about 32 inches so far this year) and rain (we had flooding here just last week!). This is good, as the ground water is being replenished, and we’ll appreciate that especially this summer, when things heat up! The cold temperatures are good right now as well. Both apple and peach trees require a certain number of “chill hours” each winter, in order to produce fruit. Some winters, when it’s especially warm, it’s a struggle to meet the requirements (this sounds like WE can control this, and we can’t!). Dormancy is a part of the life cycle of the trees, and is very important. So, while this weather may not delight everyone, it’s certainly been a good thing for the orchards so far.
Now, when spring comes, the story will change! And we’ll be sure to let you know.
In the meantime, stay warm, dry, safe, and enjoy the beauty of winter . Spring will be here before you know it!
Chiles Family Orchards - Since 1912