Apple Harvest Festival Celebrates Autumn, Local Agriculture

Maegan Crandall
Central N.Y. Correspondent

ITHACA, N.Y. — Although the sky was grey with storm clouds, and there was a constant, misty drizzle, it didn’t stop enthusiastic crowds of people from enjoying the annual apple harvest festival last Sunday in Ithica, New York
The main focus, of course, was everything apples. Local apple growers offered a bounty of choices from fresh picked apple varieties, steaming cups of hot apple cider, soft apple cider donuts, hand-made apple pie, apple crisp, apple cobbler, and sparkling apple wines — to name a few.

“The apple fest is going really well. Yesterday was the busiest day I think I’ve ever seen and I’ve been working here for over seven years. There is a surprising amount of people here today considering the weather. It’s been a pretty steady flow and stuff is flying off the shelves,” said Amara Steinkraus, who helps with operations at Littletree Orchards with her mother Anna and co-owner Dennis in Newfield, N.Y.

Littletree Orchards was started in 1973 and is a “u-pick” farm with over 60 varieties of apples, fresh-pressed apple cider, and apple-cider donuts.

Additionally, the farm offers cherries, peaches, sweet cherries, Asian pears, and several vegetables including brussels sprouts, pumpkins, and winter squash. Littletree Orchards also sells their products at the local farmer’s market.

Although Steinkraus is happy with the apple turn-out so far, she does admit that the farm’s apple crop this year isn’t as large because of a couple late frosts that prevented pollination.

Another popular destination at the festival was Eve’s Cidery, a small orchard and artisan cider making operation owned by husband and wife team Ezra Sherman and Autumn Stoscheck in Newfield, N.Y. The Cidery offered visitors fresh apples, fresh-pressed apple cider blends, and a tasting station featuring premium ciders fermented from traditional cider apple varieties of English, French, and American origin. In addition to bone dry and semi-sweet creations, the Cidery also offers a sweet peach apple wine, an apple ice wine made from apple juice pressed from frozen apples, and the couple has also made tart cherry, black cherry, and pear blends.

In addition to apple farmers, the festival also featured a few local wineries including Thousand Islands Winery, the first winery in the North Country owned and operated by Stephen Conaway. Although this winery is only six years old, it has already won several awards including the prestigious New York’s winery of the year.

In addition to sampling local apples, wines, and sweet treats, visitors also had the opportunity to enter the apple pie eating contest, watch the “Iron Chef” event that featured three local chefs who competed to make the best meal using a basket of locally grown ingredients, shop for hand-made crafts at local artisan booths, listen to local bands, and network with various community organizations.

“Today has been a little rainy, but yesterday was a fabulous day, we had record crowds this year. Friday was a beautiful day as well. It was a lot of fun,” said Vicki Taylor, director of marketing and events for downtown Ithaca.