LONDONDERRY, N.H. — Londonderry is the heart of New Hampshire's apple country and all the summer rain made good growing for apples.
Orchards in Londonderry will produce varieties of apples until late October, according to Nada Haddad, an agricultural resources expert at University of New Hampshire's Rockingham County Cooperative Extension.
"It's a good crop," she said. "There was some good rain and some sunny days also in July. On average, it was good weather for apples. We're really lucky to live in a state where we have quite a few pick-your-own operations."
New Hampshire's apple crop brings in $8 million annually. Apples are an important part of state agriculture, said Lorraine Merrill, commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets and Food.
Although orchards are scattered all over New Hampshire, the southern part of the state has the biggest concentration. Apples also bring in customers to buy other produce, fresh cider or ornaments. The pick-your-own stands are family traditions.
"It's a seasonal pilgrimage for a lot of families to go to the local orchard, buy a pie and jams, and smell the smells," Merrill said.
Apple-picking season started Aug. 15 at Mack's Apples, with summer varieties like Ginger Gold. Just this week, the McIntosh apples became ripe enough to be plucked from the trees.
People were out in the late summer sunshine this week, filling bags with both summer and fall varieties. Piles of yellow Ginger Gold apples lay under every tree in the pick-your-own field.
Linda Sharpe of Londonderry sat under an tree in one of the orchard rows and filled a bag with Ginger Golds. Sharpe said this was her second trip to the orchard this summer. She said the apples there taste better than supermarket apples.
"I think they do because they're fresh off the tree," she said.
Sharpe, who has been picking apples for about 20 years, used to come with her children. Now that they're grown, she's coming to the orchard by herself.
Isabella Mackenzie, 2, of Goffstown sampled a golden apple slice while she stood in a red Radio Flyer wagon. Her mother, Angela Mackenzie, said she comes to the orchard every year with her children, and Isabella likes to ride in the wagon while they pick apples
According to Chris Dresser, an employee at the orchard, the fall varieties like McIntosh are just emerging, but some of the summer apples are still left.
