We went to the orchard on Saturday morning for our yearly pumpkin picking ritual, but came away somewhat disappointed.
One of the great things about Northbrook Orchards was that it was an orchard. There were apple trees where they grew their own apples. They made their own apple cider from those apples. They had peaches and strawberries. They had their own pumpkin patch and even a see-into honey bee hive that produced real honey.
But no more.
When we arrived at the orchard, there were two things I noticed that were different. I'm not sure which was first. I noticed that the parking area, which had always been a gravel lot overflowing into an open field, had been paved with fresh asphalt. I also noticed that the sign on top of the barn was torn in half and only read "Northbrook Or". This was clearly a portent of things to come.
I knew from last year that they had sold their strawberry field for land developers. The last time I went to pick strawberries out there was just a couple of years before. I suppose that it just wasn't paying out for them to harvest their small crop and sell it to local stores. It's hard work, and even as an outing ("Let's go pick strawberries!") it's not exactly entirely fun ("I've got a bushel, let's get out of the sun.").
But looking behind the barn, I was startled by the new homes that had taken the place of the apple trees. In fact, as far as I could see on their old land, there wasn't a single tree standing. I wonder what happened to them all.
We parked on the lot and wandered over to the pumpin display, which looked like something you might see outside of KMart. People unfamiliar with the family orchard experience just aren't going to get what a disappointment this is. You see neatly organized pumpkins on bleacher-like stands, awaiting inspection and purchase. The only thing that was any different from buying at the grocery store was that there were no price tags on the pumpkins.
A woman we met in the asphalt pumpin patch arrived with her son and also lamented the days, just last year, when you could pick pumpkins and get cider and take your picture with your head in the wacky farmer cutouts. The hayrides were gone. The animals were gone. It just wasn't a farm any more.
The sign near the road advertised sandwiches and coffee at the Northbrook Country Store. Apparently, they don't call themselves an orchard any more - not that they have the right to.
Later, we were inside the store. Full of trinkets and knick-knacks not grown on a farm, not seen in an orchard, we might as well have stopped at Acme. There were some more natural-looking supplies. There was unsweetened apple butter (yum) and different cake mixes and preverves (grape, orange, tomato). But they were all... manufactured. It's not that these things weren't there before, but in this new context, everything just seemed more fake.
They still had the donut machine. Abby and I watched the machine drop donuts into the fryer and sizzle. We bought a dozen. Apple cider donuts are a hallmark of the season for me, even if they come from a dusty ramshackle country store as opposed to an actual orchard.
I feel like I should have seen this coming. Last year, they started with the bins of different apples. I thought it was a nice way to compare what they were growing to that from different local orchards. But it seems their plan was to sell only apples from other orchards. Berta packed up a bag of Gala apples, which are pretty tasty, especially when cold.
I think I would prefer to remember Northbrook as it was even last year with Abby running among the pumpkins pointing to each one and getting excited. We got the biggest pumpkin we could find from the lot, and a little one for Abby, which turned out to be still a little too big. I was saying that the size of our huge pumpkin will be an adequate deterrant to weak-armed theives, but I can't help but question that motive. This grand pumpkin seems like compensation for the let down of the orchard - a failed attempt to bring this occasion to as high esteem as times past.
Thats very sad, Owen.
I have made Northbrook Orchards a stop on many, many bicycle and motorcycle rides over the years. I am active in fighting developers in our township. The more I get into it the sadder I become. As I recall the way Chester county used to be about 20 years ago, I feel like that Indian in the 'Do Not Litter' campaign they ran in the 70's...the one who comes back to his mountain (or something like that) and as he is surveying what is left you see a tear in his eye. Development is the plague of modern humanity. Developer is too nice a word for people who do exactly the opposite. Enviromental rapist is much more apropo in my opinion. I am at a loss to come up with a solution for this criminal slaughter of our trees and quality of life short of guarilla warfare on the developers because nothing we do legally is having any affect. Obviously this is not a realistic solution so one can only hope that a change of guard, or younger more socially concious individuals will be coming into positions in our local governments before its too late if it isnt already.
Since my daughter was a baby,she is now 15 every year Sat and Sun in Oct we were out there !!!!! Every 4th of July the Kids did not talk about summer but about the comming Oct and what fun to be had at northbrook .I cried this year as we came into the lot and saw the same thing..The country store to us in nothing more than a fancy grave marker . Do people realize that all these developements are killing what made pa so great!!!!!!! What will be left for the children to see? I found out that apparently someone reported to the zoning group that the land was contaminated.... ahhhh so they were forced to sell ,,humm wonder how much that guy padded the boards pants pocket to steal away from every family the memories plus the livelyhood of the family that ran the orchard..o in case some did not know in a NEW HOME in PA THE BUILDERS DO NOT ,,,DO NOT ,, DO NOT ,,HAVE TO DISCLOSE THAT THE HOMES WERE BUILT ON CONTAMINATED SOIL,,, SO HUMMMMMMM MAKES ME WONDER.So all the people who bought the homes to be near the orchard..they got the biggest screw job. And as for the buillder ,,, probably selling someone elses land ,homes with the ..you are so close to the farm line..I have see it happen way to much .The same happened to all the farms in Landenberg, now the place to live.So sad that the son of a farmer now a developer could not honor the REAL VALUE of the land but sold out to GREED and his insecuritues about growing up being called a dirt farmer many many years ago from the rich Italian kids at Kennett. Some will stop at nothing to make others pay for their emotional issues no matter who, what how much and what cost to future generations .I will miss Northbrook.In fact I went back the last Sun in Oct walked the bulldozed ground, crying and asking the man above to find a new home of memories for us all.At least I have pictures of the WAY IT USE TO BE!!!!
Wow! I am really upset now. I have not been to Northbrook in several years & am quite disappointed in this turn of events. I was planning on a nice trip out tomorrow to pick apples on my one year anniversary & yet again have to go back to the drawing board. Thanks for the notice. My wife & I picked pumpkins from the patch a few years ago & were really looking forward to going back this year and then following up with a nice dinner afterwards. Bummer.
Tell me about it. It's getting to be that season, and the smell of fresh apples was always synonymous with the orchard for me.
If you find someplace else to go that's nearby, please let me know!
So very very sad! We too brought our children here every year since my son started kindergarden and had a field trip there with his school. We took him (now 25 yrs) and our daughter out for a ride this year to go get our pumpkins and apples and they were so very dissapointed! By the way, it was even closed as they were not open on Mondays!
Well, we found a couple of places, but nothing as plain and "orchard-y" as Northbrook. Check out Linvilla orchards in Media, which has a lot more activity than Northbrook. Also, in pre-Halloween pumpkin season, try Milky Way Farms, which has great ice cream.
I'm still looking for more good local orchards, so if you hear of something, leave a comment!
Go to BARNARD'S ORCHARD located LESS THAN 1 MILE AWAY from Northbrook, on same side of road, heading into Unionville. They are a wonderful apple orchard. Also grow pears, peaches, pumpkins. Not very commercialized at all, but extremely "old fashioned" and quaint.
I feel heartbroken! I haven't been to Northbrook in years. I used to live close by and EVERY YEAR we would go. We took the hayride and I usually got the free pumpkin they gave away for having a birthday so close to Halloween. I was watching a TV show on apple orchards and my mouth was watering at the thought of a Northbrook apple donut. And the caramel apples dripping all over my face! And guessing the weight of the pumpkins! And the haybale maze! I'm so disappointed my kids will never get to experience it.
I feel like crying. My two granddaughters are coming and that was to be a stop for us. My own children and I visited every fall for over 20 years. It was always a hit--I went into labor their with my daughter!!!
Where does the 'sprawl' stop? Sure, the $$ for the acres is somewhat understandable, but at what REAL cost to all of us.....
very vey sad.
It is a huge disappointment. I have such fond memories of going there as a kid. Now it's just a store. A grossly overpriced store at that. Don't get me wrong, I'll probably still stop by every fall for the apple cider donuts (they're just not the same anywhere else) and I guess I hope that not too many people have turned their backs on this place because I'd hate to see it close down completely, but I am horribly upset about what it's become. It's all over, unforunately... open fields turned into cookie cutter houses, baking in the sun, an eyesore for sure. This is a beautiful area that is quickly being torn apart in the name of money. Sickening.
The last time I was at Northbrook, in the early spring, it was closed with a "For Sale" sign on it. I just heard rumor that 3 chefs have bought it, so much for being an orchard again, very sad.
Pete's Produce on 926 in Westtown has some very nice homegrown fruits and veggies!
Yes, I did hear that it was bought by some chefs and they're going to make it into an upscale restaurant and offer cooking lessons. Just give me pumpkins and donuts and I'm happy. I don't want a fancy restaurant. But, if waht Lise is saying is correct, I guess it's all gone now. I'll have to ride out there this weekend to see if anything's changed.
It's open. Same stuff as they had before, really... They still have the donuts! It may not be what it used to be, but I'll still go just for that.