Adam Prudhomme
Editor
Jersey Macs and Paula Reds were ripe for the picking at Greater Napanee’s Wynn Farms this weekend, marking the official start of apple-gathering season.
The family-run farm located on Hwy 33 will operate a bit differently in 2020, but remains the same at its core. Fortunately, picking apples in a spacious orchard lends itself well to physical distancing. The Wynns have added extra precautions, installing an outdoor hand wash station in the parking lot and asking guests to wear a mask when talking to staff and making a purchase. When out in the field, masks won’t be required. New this year they will soon be offering ‘tree to trunk’ service, where people can call ahead to place an order and then have it placed in their trunk if they don’t feel comfortable going out and picking it for themselves.
Extra precautions in place, it projects to be a good season.
“The fruit is a bit ahead of schedule, the varieties are coming out a bit earlier than they normally would, probably by about a week I would say,” said Jim Wynn, who operates the farm with his wife Sarah and three kids, Abby, Thomas and Lucy.
“It’s a nice place for people to be able to bring the kids and feel safe and have a good time,” said Sarah.
Paula Red apples are among the first varieties ready to be harvested. Photo by Adam Prudhomme.
Back again is the famous corn maze. Staff will keep tabs on the amount of guests in the maze at a given time, making sure to stagger them to ensure physical distancing.
“This year it’s a pioneer theme,” Sarah said of the maze. “It’s Wynn Pioneer Village. We’re taking everybody back a step in time. We’ve added a little extra fun with the maze this year, we’ve added recipes (featured on plaques throughout the maze) that people can try. They can take a picture of the station and then that way the fun can continue at home.”
The maze is open now for daytime visits and starting Sept. 11 will be the moonlit corn maze.
Though most of the region had seen hot and dry conditions throughout the summer, their stretch of Hwy 33 along Lake Ontario saw its share of localized rainstorms. So much so that it actually turned out to be one of the better growing seasons in quite some time. Jim says the corn for the maze is the tallest its ever been and there’s plenty of large crops in the pumpkin patch.
More varieties of apple will come into season over coming weeks, including their biggest seller.
“Early September we’ll be into our McIntosh which are our most popular variety,” said Jim. “They’ve been the staple for many years around here.”
Wynn Farm is now open seven days a week, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Nov. 1, including Labour Day and Thanksgiving. The night maze will run until 10 p.m. after Sept. 11.
Wynn Farm is located at 8191 Hwy 33. Their website is WynnFarms.ca.