Summer is here and so are the peaches!
Ready-picked and pick-your-own peaches are now available at both Carter Mountain Orchard and Chiles Peach Orchard. For picking updates throughout the season, check our Pick Your Own Fruit page and follow us on social media. You’ll also be able to see what other fruits are available pre-picked in our Country Store such as blueberries, apricots, and nectarines.
For more peach information such a picking tips and recipe ideas, visit our peaches page.
The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and the peaches are ripe, just waiting to be picked!
Peach picking season is officially upon us and we are beyond excited. Pick-your-own peaches started a tad early this year, kicking off with a peach variety that we’re especially happy to see because the frost destroyed last year’s crop of this particular early variety.
Pick-your-own yellow peaches are expected to last through August. Donut peaches are still a few weeks away and we anticipate a lovely crop.
Can’t get enough peaches? Learn more about picking, storing, and cooking with peaches on our peach information page. For peach recipe ideas, check out our 7 Just Peachy Summer Recipes blog.
A relatively new addition to our family farm, the blueberry patch is looking blue ‘n beautiful! Pick-your-own and ready-picked blueberries are available as of early June.
Blueberry season is expected to last through the end of June and hopefully into early July.
We’ve been busy tending the flower gardens and vegetable patch! Throughout the summer, our farm market will offer a wide variety of vegetables including zucchini, green beans, bell peppers, butternut squash, spaghetti squash, corn, and tomatoes. (And, yes, we know tomatoes are technically a fruit.)
Flower fans will be delighted by fresh-picked bouquets available in the market and pick-your-own opportunities. We’ve planted zinnias, cosmos, asters, and, a crowd favorite, sunflowers!
As always, our crops are at the mercy of Mother Nature. For up-to-date picking availability, check the Chiles Pick Your Own Fruit page to plan your visit.
Stay tuned on social media for peach, blueberries, floral, and veggie updates. And don’t forget to tag us in pictures of your sweet gatherings!
4/30/19 Update: Strawberries are now in season!
Here’s a peek at the orchard goings-on to prepare for strawberry picking season.
When temperatures drop in the winter, strawberries bundle up. The plants stay under covers for a good part of the winter to help protect them from the cold weather.
Even with these precautions, some plants do get eaten by the frost. To tell which plants suffered from frost damage, look for a black center in the strawberry. The blooms are still pretty but, unfortunately, they will not become strawberries.
The black center indicates frost damage; this bloom won’t become a strawberry.
Take a walk in the strawberry patch in April and you’ll see berries at the beginning stages of the growing cycle: just starting to bloom out, in full bloom, and some plants where the petals are dropping off and a baby berry is starting to form.
Typically, a nice white bloom is 30 days from becoming a red, ripe strawberry. If the weather cooperates, that is!
These healthy white blooms are about 30 days away from becoming a ripe strawberry.
The petals have dropped off and a baby berry is starting to form.
Stay tuned for strawberry picking updates. If Mother Nature is on our side, we’ll begin picking strawberries at the end of April or beginning of May this year. For the latest picking updates, follow us on Twitter @ChilesPeachOrch and check #whatspickingCPO.
Our new pavilion offers shade on a hot day and will also serve as a covered event space.
If you drove by the orchard this winter, you might’ve wondered what all the activity was. (We’re not bears, we don’t hibernate during the winter—we work!) We’re excited to invite visitors to enjoy the shade under our new pavilion. The pavilion will get the most use during events; we’re especially looking forward to the Orchard Jams series on Friday evenings through the end of September.
If you have general questions about farm life or orchard crops, let us know! We’ll address as many as we can during this season’s orchard outlook videos.
The perfect space for an outdoor gathering!
We are in the thick of apple season! We have thousands of visitors in the month of October, so we’ve assembled some tips to help you navigate your visit whether you’re coming for the first time, or are a seasoned pro. Happy Fall, y’all!
We are open 7 days a week, and weekdays are much less crowded. We offer apple picking, apple cider donuts, apple cider slushies, wine, and hard cider every day, and lunch is served each day except Monday.
Apple picking is typically available ’til mid-November. Get the good ‘uns by checking out our Apple Picking tips video.
Dress in layers, and have jackets, hats, scarves, and gloves available – it’s often windy. Sunscreen is recommended. To check our weather, use zip code 22902 on your favorite weather app.
Please wear sturdy, close-toed shoes. Boots are recommended if there’s been rain, as parking areas and orchards can get muddy.
Apple picking involves a 5-15 minute hilly walk in each direction. We have plenty of already-picked apples if you don’t wish to pick your own.
Update 07.22.2020: We have made the difficult decision to no longer allow dogs or other pets on our property. There are several reasons for this policy change, and we thank you for your understanding.
Virginia fall foliage typically peaks in late October or early November. 2018 has been an extremely wet year and our foliage is expected to turn color later than normal.
For more information, please review our Visitor Guidelines. Have a wonderful time and thank you for supporting our family farm!
The secret to flavorful pumpkin bread is homemade pumpkin puree made with fresh-from-the-orchard pumpkins. Take pumpkin bread to the next level with a sweet and tangy cream cheese filling.
Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Spray one 9×5-inch loaf pan with floured cooking spray, or grease and flour the pan, and set aside.
In a large bowl, add both sugars, egg, coconut oil, vanilla extract, sour cream, pumpkin puree, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and ground nutmeg. Whisk to combine.
Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Fold together with a spatula or stir gently with a spoon until just combined. Do not over-mix.
Transfer about two-thirds of the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula and pushing the batter into corners and sides as necessary. Set aside.
In a large bowl, add egg, cream cheese, sugar, and flour. Mix with a whisk or hand mixer to combine.
Evenly pour the cream cheese filling mixture over the pumpkin bread batter, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula.
Top the filling with the remaining pumpkin batter, taking care not to disturb the cream cheese layer.
Bake for about 48 minutes or until the top is domed, golden, and the center is set. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean, or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter. The toothpick test is tricky for this recipe because the cream cheese does not firmly set. If you feel the tops and sides of the bread will become too browned before center cooks through, tent the pan with a sheet of foil at the 35 minute mark.
Baking times will vary based on moisture content of pumpkin, cream cheese, climate, and oven variances. Bake until done; watch your bread, not the clock.
Allow pumpkin bread to cool in pan for about 15 minutes before turning out on a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving. Bread will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
From our family’s cookbook to yours, enjoy.
Apple picking with the family is the ultimate fall activity. In addition to our visitor guidelines, here are Farmer Henry’s top tips for a successful orchard outing.
A variety of apples means a variety of ripeness. Once you’re in the orchard, surrounded by beautiful views and fall vibes, all the apples look delicious! Check all the apples on the branch to compare color and size. Look for even color.
When you find that perfect apple, lift and twist. The apple should come right off. If it doesn’t, it may not be ready.
If another apple falls while you’re trying to get the one you want, pick it up and put it in your bag! When an apple falls off the tree, it’s ripe and ready to eat—probably riper than the one you originally reached for.
We know, it’s tempting. But climbing our trees is dangerous both for you and the plants. Broken branches mean lessened production for the following year, and your safety is even more important.
It’s Mother Nature, after all! Conditions may be damp or muddy, and getting up close and personal with our apple trees isn’t always the cleanest endeavor. Follow us on Twitter (@ChilesPeachOrch or @CarterMountain) for weather updates.
We are a working farm, which means trucks and tractors are on the move. Be aware of your surroundings and keep to the sides of the roads.
Looking for the ideal apple for your baking project? Check the availability of different varieties on our website before you visit so you know what’s in store.
Even if you’re a frequent visitor (thank you!), check in with the staff when you arrive. They’ll be able to point you to ripe fruit and answer any additional picking questions.
We love fall at the orchard! Farmer Henry’s got the outside scoop on how our favorite fall fruit is developing. We’re expecting a great crop this year for all 9 of our varieties. Apples are already starting to reach mature size and color.
Our Golden Delicious apples still have a bit of growing to do but should be available in October.
When visiting the farm, please be mindful of the trees. The branches are not always strong, but a broken branch means loss for both us and future customers. Keep a special eye on kids, who may be eager to grab fruit that’s not ready yet. Even if you’re a frequent customer (for which we are very grateful!), check in with our staff upon arrival so that they can point you to the ripest fruit and best experience at the farm.
Before you visit, you can also check out our tips for apple picking and look for live weather updates on Twitter @CarterMountain.
It’s still warm out, but we’ve got pumpkins on the brain! Farmer Henry’s here to teach us about the gourds we grow here at Chiles Peach Orchard.
For about the last five years, we’ve been planting our pumpkins no-till. That means we can plant our pumpkins without having to disc and rotovate up the soil, which reduces our risk of erosion and runoff. Instead of breaking up the soil, we’re planting right into green matter that’s on the ground. This method allows us to improve our soil profile, or soil health, by adding organic matter every season. This particular season, we’ve had plenty of rain and haven’t had to run our irrigation much. Everything is growing well and we’ve got healthy plants.
Of course, we don’t have only basic orange pumpkins. We have a variety, including these decorative gourds that have just recently been pollinated and are beginning to grow. These will triple or quadruple in size before harvest.
This is an apple gourd. Though they resemble their namesake in shape, they will grow much larger than an average apple.
Snowball is one particular variety of pumpkin that we’ve enjoyed growing. Snowballs are a one- to three-pound white pumpkin and are great for decorating!
If all goes according to plan, we’ll open the pumpkin patch September 22–23 in conjunction with our Fall Into Fun Festival. We’re on track to have a great year for pumpkins. Remember to follow us on Twitter (@ChilesPeachOrch) for daily picking updates!
Sweet, juicy peaches may be the ultimate treat on a hot summer day, but these peach cobbler scones will keep you cozy when it’s cold and rainy too! Recipe serves 8. Be sure to follow us on Facebook for more recipes and ideas.
Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
In a mixing bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Cut in shortening and butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Use your hands to break the fat cubes into the dry ingredients. Some of the fat bits will be the size of peas while others will be the size of oat flakes.
In another bowl, combine egg, milk, and vanilla, and beat lightly with a fork. Add the liquid to the flour mixture all at once, stirring gently until it forms a soft dough.
Turn the dough out onto a floured board and knead about 15 times. If the butter has warmed too much in the making of the dough, shape the batter into a dish, wrap in plastic wrap, and let rest in the fridge for 15 minutes. If the butter is still cool, shape the dough into a disk and, on a well-floured surface, roll dough to a little less than 1/2-inch thickness, slightly thinner than a biscuit dough that you would cut biscuits from.
Brush half of the rolled-out dough with buttermilk. Arrange peach slices in a single layer across the buttermilk-moistened dough. Sprinkle with half of the cinnamon sugar mixture. Carefully fold the empty side of dough over the peach sliced layer, pressing together gently.
Add a bit of flour to your hands and press the edges of the dough in, creating more of a rectangle shape than a half circle shape. Using a floured knife, slice dough into eight even pieces, or bake it as one large scone!
Place the scones on prepared baking sheets, leaving about 1 1/2-inches of room around each scone for spread while baking. If dough has warmed and feels mushy, place in the fridge for 20 minutes to re-chill. Before baking, brush each scone top with buttermilk and sprinkle with remaining cinnamon sugar.
Bake scones for 15-18 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes before serving. Scones are best served warm, on the day they are baked, with softened butter.
It’s been a rainy spring, but drier weather and juicy peaches are just around the corner here at the orchard. The first peaches of the season are already coloring up nicely and will be ready for picking any day now—and we’ll have a variety of peaches available all summer, all the way through Labor Day. Peach picking or not, the orchard is looking beautiful!
Be sure to follow us on Twitter @ChilesPeachOrch for the latest orchard updates (#whatspickingCPO).
Clingstone peaches are just what they sound like: peaches that “cling” to their pits. These peaches are often used for pickling, but they are delicious no matter how you slice ‘em. These peaches are already ripening up for picking.
Freestone peaches, or peaches with flesh that separates easily from the stone, ripen later in the summer, and are easier to work with for canning and freezing.
Get the low-down how to pick the perfect peach on our Learn About Peaches page!
Need another reason to c’mon out? Our Come Grow With Us series, every Tuesday and Wednesday, is a great way to get young ones outside and cultivating curiosity. Or, bring the whole family to our weekly pancake breakfasts, complete with fresh-from-the-orchard fruit!
This peach is still ripening, but will be a juicy treat later this summer!
Chiles Family Orchards - Since 1912